III: Thermal Properties of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Semiconductor Lasers

This chapter reviews the temperature-dependent phenomena in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). Compared to edge-emitting lasers (EELs), VCSELs have a number of unique features that make them potentially more immune to damage caused or accelerated by external ambient. The chapter discusses various comprehensive approaches used to model thermal properties of VCSELs. The chapter focuses on the main differences between properties of VCSELs and EELs and discusses the experimental data on various device characteristics affected by temperature. The chapter presents temperature-related effects on VCSEL performance, including the temperature dependence of the longitudinal mode spectra, the transverse-mode structure, the threshold current, and the output power. The basics of thermal VCSEL modeling are also illustrated in the chapter. The chapter describes comprehensive analytical and numerical thermal models of VCSELs, which are especially important if device design needs to be optimized.