Investigations of vertical cavity surface emitting laser by photoreflectance spectroscopy

Abstract

We report photomodulated reflectance results on vertical cavity surface emitting laser structures. Photoreflectance spectra have been recorded under normal incidence at different temperatures between 9 and 300 K. The structure used is a λ cavity grown in the AlGaAs-based system emitting at a wavelength near 800 nm. We show that photoreflectance is a unique noninvasive tool to measure accurately the quantum well transition and the cavity mode alignment: both features can be distinguished very well. Furthermore, this technique offers the opportunity to determine the electric field within the undoped region from Franz–Keldysh oscillations, and gives the Al composition of the barrier material in the cavity.