Polarization selection in birefringent antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide-type vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

The influence of spatial hole burning and thermal lensing effects on the polarization selection mechanism of the birefringent antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) type vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is studied. Competition between the two orthogonal polarizations with a similar fundamental lateral-mode profile, arising from refractive index anisotropies inside the laser cavities, is considered in the analysis. It can be shown that the single-mode operation of ARROW VCSELs is more stable than that of simplified-ARROW VCSELs provided that strong confinement of injection current as well as minimization of thermal lensing effects can be realized. In addition, a small refractive index difference is adequate to ensure stable single-mode operation in ARROW VCSELs.