Temperature dependence of the transverse lasing mode in vertical-cavity lasers

Abstract

Experimental data are presented along with calculations which describe the near-threshold transverse modes in AlAs/GaAs/InGaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with two different Bragg reflector systems. The Bragg reflector systems are composed of either AlAs/GaAs quarter-wave stacks or a combination of AlAs/GaAs and ZnSe/CaF. The temperature dependence of the lasing mode is studied for three different structures, and it is shown that higher-order lasing modes are favored with strong cavity detuning when the cavity resonance exists at a wavelength greater than the bulk emission peak. Important aspects of the lasing behavior are described by calculating the spontaneous mode which occurs at the lasing wavelength.