Investigation of displacement damage to vertical-cavity surface-emitting red lasers due to 1 MeV electron radiation

J W Chen,Q Q Lei,Y D Li,B K Liu,D Zhou,L Wen,Q Guo,C F He,M Heini,W Lu,A Aierke

doi:10.1063/5.0029695

Abstract

The effects of displacement damage due to 1 MeV electron radiation on 680 nm and 850 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) were experimentally investigated. The displacement damage dose was calculated using the MULASSIS tool, where it was found that radiation significantly affects the threshold current of VCSELs. The threshold current damage factor is 2.46 × 10−18 cm2/e for 680 nm VCSELs and 1.48 × 10−18 cm2/e for 850 nm VCSELs. In addition, the power intensity distribution and light output power degradation were characterized to evaluate the radiation hardness of VCSELs. An understanding of the performance degradation of VCSELs under electron exposure would be useful in optimizing their applications in hostile environments.

Highlights

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which emit light perpendicular to the chip surface, offer lower power dissipation at Gbit/s modulation rates, simplified fiber coupling and packaging, and higher reliability with a factor of 107 greater mean-timeto-failure (MTTF) than conventional edge-emitting lasers
The MULASSIS tool was used to simulate the effects of 1 MeV electron irradiation on 680 nm and 850 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs)
This figure details the structure of the active region containing the AIGaInP/GaInP multiple quantum wells (MQWs), which are sandwiched between two AlGaInP quantum well barrier layers

Summary

Introduction

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which emit light perpendicular to the chip surface, offer lower power dissipation at Gbit/s modulation rates, simplified fiber coupling and packaging, and higher reliability with a factor of 107 greater mean-timeto-failure (MTTF) than conventional edge-emitting lasers These features make VCSELs highly attractive for applications in space, in the optical interconnections in satellites and other systems. This means that they are subject to operation in environments with severe radiation exposure. Predicting VCSEL degradation during space missions is an important factor for the technology’s continued application and maintenance.

Methods

Results

Conclusion