A comprehensive circuit-level model of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Abstract

The increasing interest in vertical-cavity surfaceemitting lasers (VCSEL's) requires the corresponding development of circuit-level VCSEL models for use in the design and simulation of optoelectronic applications. Unfortunately, existing models lack either the computational efficiency or the comprehensiveness warranted by circuit-level simulation. Thus, in this paper we present a comprehensive circuit-level model that accounts for the thermal and spatial dependence of a VCSEL's behavior. The model is based on multimode rate equations and empirical expressions for the thermal dependence of the activelayer gain and carrier leakage, thereby facilitating the simulation of VCSEL's in the context of an optoelectronic system. To confirm that our model is valid, we present sample simulations that demonstrate its ability to replicate typical dc, small-signal, and transient operation, including temperature-dependent lightcurrent (LI) curves and modulation responses, multimode behavior, and diffusive turn-off transients. Furthermore, we verify our model against experimental data from four devices reported in the literature. As the results will show, we obtained excellent agreement between simulation and experiment.

Dynamical Hysteresis and Thermal Effects in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

“…where δ(T ) = ω g (T )−ω c (T ) is the detuning of the gain peak at ω g from the cavity mode at ω c , both temperature-dependent, and ω g,0 = 2π × 4 THz is the gain bandwidth at RT T 0 [14]. The frequency of the gain peak redshifts with the active region temperature ash…”

High-power single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

“…10 The modal transverse distributions are also calculated in advance by considering the VCSEL cavity as a weakly guiding cylindrical waveguide. [8][9][10][11] The timedependent equations are then solved with a finite difference algorithm. For simplicity, higher-order effects, such as the change in refractive index due to cavity temperature and cara͒ Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; electronic mail: yhzhang@asu.edu rier injection, are not taken into account in the present study.…”

“…The carrier distribution and optical mode are calculated using a two-dimensional spatiotemporal model 8,9 based on laser rate equations that take into account spatial hole burning, carrier diffusion, spontaneous recombination, and the azimuthal dependence of spatially dependent variables such as current spreading, carrier distribution, and transverse modal fields. Instead of using an assumed current injection profile 8,9 the three-dimensional ͑3D͒ current injection profile is simulated by solving Poisson's equation using a 3D finite element method, taking into account the doping profile and anisotropic DBR conductivity.…”

Transverse dynamics in cavity nonlinear optics (2000–2003)

“…have been proposed. Topics covered include spatio-temporal modelling with polarization dynamics [200], modal expansion versus spatio-temporal description [201], effect of carrier transport on transverse mode selection [202], multimode antiphase dynamics with optical feedback [203], analytic solutions [204] of a comprehensive circuit-model [205], and spatio-spectral interaction mechanisms of carriers and photons are observed and explained in [206]. The spatial mode structure of an MQW device has been revisited in [207,208].…”