Abstract

In the past few years, there have been intensive research efforts to extend the lasing wavelength of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) into the wavelength range of 1.3-1.55 μm for applications in optical communications. All of the well known VCSEL features such as longitudinal single-mode operation, small beam divergence and power consumption also hold for the long- wavelength range. By tayloring the device dimensions, the longer wavelengths are even advantageous with respect to transverse or polarization mode control. However, the otherwise mature InP-technology used for edge-emitterse is to a large extent inconsistent with the demands required for VCSELs which is mainly due to the lack of InP-based Bragg reflectors with sufficient thermal and optical properties. While numerous approaches including wafer-bonding, ¹ metamor- phic growth² or active regions for extended wavelengths on GaAs substrates^3,4 have still not proven to yield application suitable devices, our recently reported monolithic and InP-based Buried Tunnel Junction (BTJ) structure promises for the first time to fulfill the required system performances.

© 2002 Optical Society of America