Abstract

An important figure of merit for the design of low threshold vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers is the spontaneous emission factor. It is defined as the ratio of the optical energy coupled to modes near the fundamental cavity mode to the total radiative energy produced by the cavity. Experimental determination of this factor requires a knowledge of the optical power coupled to all possible modes of the resonant microcavity. In this talk, we present a comprehensive description of the radiative modal distribution in index-guided vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes. A novel experimental technique is used in which the light emitted laterally is separated and independently detected. A complete theoretical model is also developed that describes the polarization as well as the propagation vector of the resonant cavity modes and their coupling to electron-heavy hole and electron-light hole dipoles.

© 1992 Optical Society of America