The spatial hole burning effect in gain-guided vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Abstract

Comprehensive, three-dimensional, thermal - electrical - optical self-consistent simulation of gain-guided vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is used to study the mutual interaction in a VCSEL resonator between the carrier-concentration distribution and the laser intensity profile, called usually the spatial hole burning (SHB) effect. In the simulation, the beam-propagation method (BPM) is applied to investigate a VCSEL optical field whereas finite-element and finite-difference techniques allow modelling of heat-flux, current-spreading and carrier diffusion phenomena. BPM turns out to be very efficient in analysing laser optical fields. The SHB effect is found to influence considerably both carrier-concentration and intensity profiles in VCSEL active regions, therefore it is proved to play an important role in many physical processes (thermal, electrical and optical phenomena) occurring during operation of a VCSEL.