Characterization of angled tapered superluminescent LEDs

We present a detailed analysis of the output beam of high-power edge-emitting angled tapered superluminescent LEDs (A-TSLEDs). A device model, including spontaneous and stimulated emission processes as well as the typical nonuniform carrier-density distribution due to current spreading and carrier diffusion, has been developed and used to interpret the experimentally obtained characteristics of inhouse-fabricated A-TSLEDs. The good match between measured and theoretical results indicates that the model reproduces the A-TSLED operation very satisfactorily and clearly explains the role of the collecting lens on the pronounced asymmetry of some of the measured optical intensity profiles.