Thermal analysis of GaAs-AlGaAs etched-well surface-emitting double-heterostructure lasers with dielectric mirrors

A comprehensive self-consistent thermal-electrical model is described and used to investigate thermal properties of GaAs-AlGaAs etched-well double-heterostructure vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with dielectric mirrors. Special attention is paid to effects of varying the active-region diameter on thermal behavior of the device. The active-region diameter is optimized with the goal of reducing the relative power loss due to heating and maximizing the optical output power. The optimal diameter, at which the excess of pumping current over the CW lasing threshold at the corresponding active-region temperature is maximum, is 16 mu m.