Modeling of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL)

VCSELs are now being adopted in increasingly many optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC), especially in optical interconnects. VCSELs are used in this project as prototype devices for developing comprehensive and reliable modeling and simulation tools for the optics part of the problem. Algorithms and computer codes are being developed to model the transverse modes and temporal dynamics of the VCSELs. These algorithms use finite-difference methods and solve the combined Maxwell equations for the optics and the semiconductor Bloch equations for the material responses. Approximations at the appropriate level are made to these equations for efficiency, while care is taken to make sure that the essential physics is captured. The detailed microscopic theory with many-body interactions is being incorporated into the modeling of VCSELs. This inclusion is necessary for detailed comparisons with experiments. Based on this capability, a comprehensive modeling package will be developed for optical devices (both active and passive), including optical, electronic, and thermal processes in a self-consistent fashion.