Analysis of anticipated performance of 650-nm GaInP/AlGaInP quantum-well GaAs-based VCSELs at elevated temperatures

Abstract

The possibility of application of the 650-nm oxide-confined GaInP/AlGaInP quantum-well vertical-cavity surface-emitting diode lasers (VCSELs) at elevated temperatures as sources of the carrier 650-nm wave in the fibre optical communication using POFs has been investigated with the aid of the comprehensive self-consistent model. An increase in the VCSEL threshold current at higher temperatures has been found to be mostly associated with both the carrier leakage from the valley of the Ga0.43In0.57P quantum-well material to the X-valley of the (Al0.67Ga0.33)0.52In0.48P barriers and the band-to-band absorption within the Ga0.52In0.48P layer of the band-gap comparable with the energy of emitted radiation. Nevertheless, the AlGaInP VCSELs exhibit encouraging thermal behaviour with the characteristic temperature T0 equal to as much as 134 K for the active-region temperatures up to 357 K. For the 5-μm devices, the maximal achievable output has been determined to decrease from a quite high value of 1.0 mW for 293 K to 0.6 mW for 320 K and to still high 0.33 mW for 340 K. However, an efficient operation of the above VCSEL at elevated temperatures requires still some structure modifications leading to a reduction of both the above effects, the electron leakage from the valley and the band-to-band absorption within GaInP layers.

VCSEL structures used to suppress higher-order transverse modes

“…They may emit not only (standard for arsenide devices) 850−nm radiation [4], but also ultraviolet one [5][6][7] with the aid of nitrides, the visible red 680−nm radiation [8] (phos− phide lasers) and even the 1.3−μm [9] and 1.55 μm [10] radi− ation used in a fibre optical communication. However in all of them, the problem with a mode selectivity is one of the most difficult to overcome.…”