Parametric Analysis of Spin-Polarized VCSELs

Author

Alexandropoulos, Dimitris ; Adams, Michael J.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Comput. Sci. & Electron. Eng., Univ. of Essex, Colchester, UK

Volume

45

Issue

6

fYear

2009

fDate

6/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

744

Lastpage

749

Abstract

Calculations of spin-injected vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are presented using an efficient algorithm for solution of the steady-state rate equations in the spin-flip model. The effects of spin relaxation, birefringence, electron and photon lifetimes, linewidth factor, and the magnitude and ellipticity of the pumping are investigated. After a review of published values for spin relaxation rates in semiconductors of interest for VCSELs, the dependence of spin relaxation times in GaInNAs quantum wells on N content and well width is calculated for the Elliot-Yafet process. The results, which show good agreement with experiment, are used in simulations of spin-injected GaInNAs VCSELs to determine the dependence of polarization control on well width.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; birefringence; carrier lifetime; electron spin polarisation; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; indium compounds; laser cavity resonators; optical control; optical pumping; semiconductor lasers; semiconductor quantum wells; surface emitting lasers; Elliot-Yafet process; GaInNAs; VCSEL; birefringence; electron lifetime; optical pumping; polarization control; semiconductor quantum well; spin relaxation; spin-polarized electron; steady-state rate equation; vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser; Electrons; Laser stability; Laser theory; Optical polarization; Optical pumping; Quantum well lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Spin polarized transport; Surface emitting lasers; Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers; Polarization; quantum theory; semiconductor lasers; semiconductor materials;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2009.2013107

Filename

4967996