Transverse and polarization mode selection in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Abstract

We focus our attention on the selection processes and turn-on delay for the switch-on of different transverse modes in VCSELs. We consider different excitation conditions and active-region diameters, addressing the experimental situations in which the transient response of gain-guided VCSELs to a current pulse is taken into account (1 ns duration, 100 ps rise-time). We consider two thermal effects, namely, a temperature dependent detuning between the band-gap and the cavity resonance and the thermal lensing (TL) effect.