Optimization Studies of Single-Transverse-Mode 980-nm Ridge-Waveguide Lasers

The paper presents simulation and experimental studies for the optimization of the ridge profile in ridge waveguide edge-emitting lasers emitting at 980 nm. 2D simulations have been performed, both with in-house developed software and with the commercial simulation package LASTIP, for different etching depths and ridge widths. Several ridge geometries have been fabricated in order to verify experimentally the transverse modal behavior dependence on ridge geometry. The simulation and experimental results are used to derive processing guidelines for achieving stable single-transverse-mode operation in 980 nm ridge waveguide lasers.