Analysis and Design of Antiresonant Reflecting Optical Waveguide Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers for Above-Threshold Operation

Modal characteristics of antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are studied under high current injection. It is found that the influence of carrier spatial hole burning increases the radiation loss margin of ARROW at low injection current, while the thermal lensing effect significantly reduces radiation loss margin of ARROW at high injection current. Hence, the excitation of multiple-transverse modes in VCSELs is inevitable under high injection current even if the dimensions of the ARROW have been optimized to maximum radiation loss margin. Therefore, it is proposed to modify the refractive index profile of the ARROW to compensate against the influence of thermal lensing in VCSELs. It can be shown that the radiation loss margin of the modified ARROW can remain unchanged under the influence of thermal lensing if the dimensions and refractive index profile of the ARROW are properly designed. Hence, stable single-mode operation can be obtained in ARROW VCSELs at high injection current.