Tapping-mode tuning-fork near-field scanning optical microscopy of low power semiconductor lasers

The newly developed inverted tapping-mode tuning-fork near-field scanning optical microscopy (TMTF-NSOM) is used to study the local near-field optical properties of strained AlGaInP/Ga0.4In0.6P low power visible multiquantum-well laser diodes. In contrast to shear-force mode NSOM, TMTF-NSOM provides the function to acquire the evanescent wave intensity ratio /I(2omega)/ / /I(omega)/ image, from which the evanescent wave decay coefficient q can be evaluated for a known tapping amplitude. Moreover, we probe the near-field stimulated emission spectrum, which gives the free-space laser light wavelength lambda(o) and the index of refraction nr of the laser diode resonant cavity. Once q, lambda(o), and n(r) are all measured, we can determine the angle of incidence theta(o) of the dominant totally internally reflected waves incident on the front mirror facet of the resonator. Determination of such an angle is very important in modelling the stability of the laser diode resonator.