Microscopic theory of non-equilibrium microcavity laser dynamics

Abstract

This paper presents a microscopic analysis of the dynamic interplay between the non-equilibrium carrier system and the light field in a semiconductor microcavity laser system. The important aspects of the quantum mechanical theory are summarized and the resulting equations are solved for the example of a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser configuration with quantum-well active material. Assuming optical pumping with a short pulse, the subsequent evolution of the generated carrier distributions, the onset of lasing and the dynamics of the emission are analysed. It is shown how the microcavity emission dynamics can be influenced by proper cavity design.