Athermalization of the Lasing Wavelength in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

Journal article, 2023

A concept for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is proposed and demonstrated to obtain a lasing wavelength with unprecedented temperature stability. The concept is based on incorporating a dielectric material with a negative thermo-optic coefficient, dn/dT, in the distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) to compensate the positive dn/dT of the semiconductor cavity. In a short cavity, the optical field has a significant overlap with the DBRs, and the redshift of the lasing wavelength caused by the semiconductor cavity can be compensated by the negative dn/dT of the DBRs. Here, proof of this concept is presented for optically-pumped VCSELs emitting at 310 nm, demonstrating a lasing wavelength that even blueshifts by less than 0.1 nm over an 80 °C range with a maximum slope of –3.4 pm K−1. This is to be compared with a redshift of 1–1.5 nm over the same temperature range reported for III-nitride blue-emitting VCSELs. Furthermore, this method can also be implemented in VCSELs with longer cavity lengths by including a dielectric layer between the semiconductor and the DBR. The approach used here to obtain a temperature-stable lasing wavelength is generic and can therefore be applied to VCSELs in all material systems and lasing wavelengths.