Polarization instability and mode partition noise in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Abstract

We present, for the first time, a study of polarization instability induced RIN (relative intensity noise) enhancement in VCSELs. Devices under study are nominally single-mode top-emitting GaAs/AlGaAs VCSELs with an operating wavelength of 850 nm. Current confinement and gain guiding are obtained by double proton implantation. Detailed results of bit error rate measurement on free-space optical links with polarization-unstable VCSELs and a rate-equation based model of the polarization instability are presented.