Three-dimensional model for vectorial fields in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Abstract

The electromagnetic problem of modeling vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with their full three-dimensional characteristics is analyzed, including oxide confinement, mesa mirrors, metal contacts, and noncircular geometries. The model is based on the mode expansion of the electromagnetic field in the continuous basis of cylindrical TE and TM modes of the cavity medium and on coupled mode theory. The full vectorial treatment of the problem allows a correct analysis of the polarization characteristics of these lasers, which is a topic of great interest both for the device physics and for many applications. A comparison between the fully vectorial treatment and the LP scalar approximation is carried out and polarization resolved results for rectangular and elliptical structures are presented.