Mode characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers based on GaAs quantum wells

The results of the detailed analysis of mode behavior of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) with GaAs QW's are presented. The design of the investigated VCSEL is similar to the design of commercial grade 850 nm VCSEL's. The investigations of the laser mode structure have been carried out for VCSEL's with apertures in the range from 1 /spl mu/m up to 14 /spl mu/m. The main lasing parameters have been calculated for the investigated VCSEL's using 3D rigorous eigenmode expansion model. The measured value of the blue shift for the fundamental mode with the reduction of VCSEL's aperture from 14 /spl mu/m down to 1 /spl mu/m is about 6 nm. The super-fine doublet and triplet structure of VCSEL's modes has been discovered using a high resolution (/spl sim/10 pm) spectrometer. The presumable mechanisms of the observed mode splitting are presented in the report.