Modeling full PCSELs and VCSELs using modified rigorous coupled-wave analysis.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Computational Physics
• Semiconductor Devices

Background:

• Traditional rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) is limited to analyzing structures with light incident from external sources.
• Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) generate light internally, requiring simulation of bidirectional light propagation.
• Existing simulation methods can be computationally intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated RCWA algorithm capable of simulating full VCSEL and PCSEL structures.
• To address the limitation of traditional RCWA for internally light-generating devices.
• To provide a faster and accurate simulation alternative for laser design.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a bidirectional scattering matrix method within RCWA.
• Incorporation of a doubling algorithm to handle internal light generation.
• Comparison of simulation results with the Lumerical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method.

Main Results:

• The enhanced RCWA accurately predicts resonant wavelength and Q factor for VCSELs and PCSELs.
• Maximum discrepancy with FDTD is less than 3 nm for wavelength and 0.5° for far-field divergence.
• The RCWA method demonstrates significantly faster execution speed compared to FDTD.

Conclusions:

• The developed integrated RCWA is a powerful and efficient tool for simulating VCSEL and PCSEL devices.
• This method overcomes the limitations of traditional RCWA for internally light-generating laser structures.
• The enhanced RCWA offers a viable, high-speed alternative for optical device simulation and design.