Analysis of optical and thermal properties of 940-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

We achieve 13.5 mW optical output power, 48% power conversion efficiency, 1.17 W/A slope efficiency and 17 kW/cm(2) laser power density with top-surface-emitting 940 nm oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The physical mechanism of minimum threshold current generation in oxide-confined VCSEL has been thoroughly studied theoretically and experimentally. Further, we also succeeded in 90.8 mW optical output power, 40% power conversion efficiency with 2 x 4 VCSEL arrays. We find an increase in output power and PCE of 2 x 2 VCSEL arrays as we increase the array spacing which we attribute primarily to increased heat dissipation and reduced thermal crosstalk between the emitters. Thermal properties in oxide-confined 2 x 2 VCSEL arrays were analyzed numerically and experimentally. The simulated results are in good agreement with the measurement. It is proved that theoretical simulation is very useful for the future device optimization.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the performance of top-surface-emitting VCSELs in terms of infrared laser output. The physical mechanism of minimum threshold current generation in oxide-confined VCSELs is revealed through theoretical and experimental studies, and the output power and power conversion efficiency of 2 x 4 VCSEL arrays are examined. The thermal properties of 2 x 2 VCSEL arrays are analyzed using numerical and experimental methods.