A new technique for simulating semiconductor laser resonators

We present a new technique for the time-dynamic simulation of semiconductor lasers. The method is based on appropriate finite elements - so called Trigonometric Finite Wave Elements (TFWEs) - and a suitable model for the time-dynamic behavior of the semiconductor laser device. Due to their construction, TFWEs can be treated as a generalization of the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) in two or three dimensions. Applying the TFWEs to the time-dynamic model, one can examine the behavior of the laser device in space and time even for large laser resonators occurring in Distributed Feedback lasers (DFB), disc lasers, and three-section lasers. In this paper, we present numerical results for a fully two-dimensional simulation of the DFB laser action.