Static and dynamic transverse mode characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers

Abstract

The present thesis deals with the study of a novel type of semiconductor lasers, namely the oxidized vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) in 850 nm and 980 nm wavelengths regimes. Since these spectral regimes became very important fiber-optic communication bands for short-distance optical interconnects, this work is concerned with the spectrally and spatially resolved transverse mode characteristics of VCSEL from theoretical and experimental points of view. Three phenomena are studied in the static case, i.e. under continuous wave (cw) operation. The first is an investigation of the waveguiding mechanism in VCSELs induced by the oxide layer. Secondly, switching between longitudinal modes in VCSELs as a new phenomenon is examined. The third is related to the effect of increasing the cavity length of VCSEL on the output characteristics and the eigenmode structure. In the dynamic case, i.e. at large and small signal modulation, a spatial investigation of the transverse mode turn-on dynamics in VCSEL is made.