Photoreflectance spectroscopy study of vertical cavity surface emitting laser structures

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 450; no. 1; pp. 148 - 150
• Main Authors: Murtagh, M.E., Guenebaut, V., Ward, S., Nee, D., Kelly, P.V., O'Looney, B., Murphy, F., Modreanu, M., Westwater, S., Blunt, R., Bland, S.W.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 22-02-2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Cavity; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Lasers; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Optics; Photoluminescence; Photoreflectance; Physics; Quantum well; Quantum wells; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; Semiconductors; VCSEL; Visible and ultraviolet spectra; Photoreflectance; Quantum well; Cavity; VCSEL; Photoluminescence; Aluminium arsenides; Gallium arsenides; Inorganic compounds; Ternary compounds; Quantum wells; Binary compounds; Cavity: Photoluminescence; Experimental study; Excitons; Semiconductor lasers; III-V semiconductors
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2003.10.060

This paper summarises the application of the laser-based electro-absorptive technique of photoreflectance (PR) for the study of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). PR results are shown to reveal the technologically important cavity mode and ground state quantum well exciton structures. AlGaAs/GaAs based quantum well VCSELs were examined with and without top mirror layers as a function of laser pump excitation conditions, with results compared with angle-dependent PR data. Cavity mode and quantum well alignments were also studied with reference to the un-modulated reflectance signal as well as correlated with photoluminescence data. The results demonstrate the importance of PR metrology for state-of-art VCSEL characterisation.