1550-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with single-mode power of milliwatts

We report on a 1550-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with single mode power of 0.97 mW. The quaternary AlGaInAs quantum well is designed to improve the gain level in an active region. The mesa structure with tunneling capability is designed and fabricated to achieve the efficient carrier injection and the transverse mode guiding. The distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror of 1550 nm VCSEL consists of the semiconductor DBR and outer dielectric DBR. The central wavelength of VCSEL is 1547.6 nm. The maximum output power of 2.6 mW is achieved at 15 ℃, and the maximum single-mode output power is 0.97 mW. The side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) can reach more than 35 dB. The maximum output power decreases with operation temperature increasing. However, the maximum output power of more than 1.3 mW is also gained at 35 ℃. The shift coefficient of the central wavelength varying with the operation current is 0.13 nm/mA. And the wavelength shows a stable shift with the operation current in the single-mode working region, which indicates the application possibility in the field of gas detection.