A multidimensional laser simulator for edge-emitters including quantum carrier capture

A multidimensional semiconductor laser simulator is presented which follows a rate equation approach for the coupling between optics and electronics. Capture and emission rates for the bound and free carriers are used for the quantum well. The electronic equations and the optical equations are solved in a self-consistent manner for one, two, and three dimensions. As an example, an InGaAs quantum-well ridge laser is analyzed, and the multidimensional simulation approach for Fabry-Perot device structures is discussed. A three-dimensional (3-D) simulation of a device with a truncated contact shows the applicability of the simulator to complex laser cavity designs.