Beam propagation model for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers: threshold properties

A novel beam propagating method model for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers is presented. The Bloch wave concept is used for wave propagation in the Bragg region, and the numerical model includes the structure of Bragg reflectors, carrier, and thermal effects. Based on this model the optical field in the cavity is calculated. The numerical results show that weak index guiding should be introduced to maintain the low threshold current property when the temperature difference between the center and edge is comparable with that of edge-emitting laser diodes, especially in the small contact case. The effects of the mismatch between the lasing wavelength and the gain peak and the reflectivity of the facet are investigated.>