Analysis of the blazing effect in second-order gratings

The validity of the blazing effect for improving the output-coupling efficiency of second-order gratings for use in grating-coupled surface-emitting lasers is examined. The Floquet-Bloch expansion method is used for the analysis of finite-length gratings with asymmetric tooth shapes operated in resonance condition. It is shown that for saw-tooth gratings the blazing effect is almost lost around the second-order Bragg wavelength because the reflected guide mode generated in the distributed Bragg reflector radiates preferentially into the substrate. By using a parallelogram grating with equal tooth and groove lengths, however, a high efficiency of radiation into the air is attainable even at the Bragg wavelength while the reflectivity is reduced