Optimizing Optical Output Power of Single-Mode VCSELs Using Multiple Oxide Layers

The influence of using multiple oxide layers with different positions and aperture sizes on vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) performance is analyzed to show their effects on the optical output power, single-mode operation, and threshold current. The number of oxide layers, their positions, and aperture sizes are optimized to emit the maximum optical output power and transversally single-mode operation. A comprehensive 3-D optical-electrical thermal-gain self-consistent VCSEL model is used to simulate the continuous-wave operation of the multilayer oxide VCSELs. A comparison between optimized VCSELs possessing for different numbers of oxide layers is proposed. The results show that by using multilayer oxides, high-power single-mode VCSELs could be achieved.