Reduced optical scattering loss in vertical-cavity lasers using a thin (300 /spl Aring/) oxide aperture

Calculations show that significant optical scattering loss persists as standard quarter-wave (800 /spl Aring/) thick, dielectrically apertured vertical cavity laser diameters are reduced below 4 μm and that thinner apertures can reduce the scattering loss, By using a thin (300 /spl Aring/) AlAs-oxide defined aperture, optical scattering loss has been dramatically reduced over the quarter-wave AlAs-oxide defined vertical-cavity laser. The optical loss reduction results in 2.3 μm diameter lasers with differential efficiencies of 0.43 (80% of the value of broad-area lasers) and continuous-wave single-mode powers of 1.2 mW.