VCSEL structures used to suppress higher-order transverse modes

Abstract

AbstractCurrently unwanted excitation of higher-order transverse modes is the most serious drawback of vertical-cavity surface-emitting diode lasers (VCSELs) limiting their possible applications. In the present paper, various methods used to suppress those modes are described and their effectiveness is compared. It is well known that, because of a nearly uniform current injection into their active regions, small-aperture VCSELs without any modification offer quite high single-fundamental-mode (SFM) output. However, their series resistance is often too high, which aggravates their high-modulation performance. Similarly uniform current injection may be also achieved with the aid of a tunnelling junction. Generally, methods suppressing higher-order modes take advantage of higher optical gain within the central part of the active region, higher radiation losses outside this region and/or higher central mirror reflectivity. Currently, applications of a tunnel junction, an impurity-induced disordering or an inverted shallow surface relief seem to be the simplest and the most effective methods. The deep etched holey structure or the ARROW structure enable obtaining similar single-mode output powers but they may be used in special cases only because of their complex technology. Photonic crystals may probably enable more advanced mechanisms of suppressing higher-order modes in future because currently their application seems to be still far from being optimised.