Spontaneous emission factor for semiconductor superluminescent diodes

Abstract

The spontaneous emission factor β is an important parameter for the characterization of semiconductor light emitting devices. In the analysis of superluminescent diodes, especially in the calculation of the optical intensity using rate equations, most authors have used the estimated value of β taken from laser diodes, despite the conceptual difference involved in each device. In this article, the spontaneous emission factor β for superluminescent diodes is discussed in detail, and a new method in calculating the average value of β is introduced. Based on this method, the values of β for gain-guided and index-guided structures are obtained.