Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers: effects of heating on modal characteristics and threshold current

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have unique properties that distinguish them from conventional edge-emitting semiconductor lasers and render them very attractive for a number of novel applications. In addition to those distinguishing features, due to intense heating the role of thermal effects in VCSELs is by far more prominent than in edge emitters. In this paper, a brief review is given of some of VCSEL properties influenced by temperature. Effects of temperature on spectral device characteristics are discussed, including the temperature dependence of the longitudinal mode spectra and the transverse-mode structure. A new condition is formulated for thermal matching of the Bragg mirrors and the spacer region. Temperature sensitivity of threshold current is also considered, and the dominant role of the gain peak/cavity resonance detuning is described.

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