Temperature dependent operation of the vertical cavity surface emitting laser

The temperature dependence of the vertical cavity surface emitting laser is evaluated using a laser model based on the no-k selection rule. The predictions indicate that the temperature for the minimum threshold current has a substantial dependence on the loss in the laser, represented by the photon lifetime, which is in agreement with experimental findings. Using the Fermi energies as parameters to connect the carrier densities at threshold to the lasing frequency, a family of design curves, which are dependent only on the laser cavity dimension and a universal loss parameter K, is produced. Since K encompasses all significant design variables, the design tool enables a compromise to be chosen between the magnitude of the threshold current and its required temperature sensitivity