S.A. Smith

Thermal management in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers: finite-element analysis of a heatspreader approach

The use of crystalline heatspreaders to improve thermal management in optically pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers is studied via finite-element analysis. The required properties of a heatspreader are examined and the effect on heat flow is discussed, as are thermal lensing effects. The advantages of diamond heatspreaders are highlighted. The power-scaling potential is compared to other approaches. Heatspreaders are found to be promising, particularly for use with low thermal conductivity semiconductors.

A diamond-microchip GaInNAs VECSEL operating at 1315 nm

We present the first microchip vertical external-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser operating at 1.3 /spl mu/m. Continuous-wave power >180 mW was achieved from a cavity volume /spl sim/0.001 mm/sup 3/ using a diode-pumped GaInNAs VECSEL structure capillary-bonded to a dielectric-mirror-coated diamond heatspreader.

Polarisation and modal characteristics of a 1.3/spl mu/m diamond-microchip GaInNAs vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser

We report the modal and polarisation properties of a 1300 nm GaInNAs microchip VECSEL and their dependence on pump diameter. The analysis suggests that thermal lensing effects play a significant role in microchip VECSEL mode formation.

Heatspreader-Based Thermal Management in VECSELs: Thermal Lensing in Microchip Devices

Finite-element analysis is used to explore the practicalities and scaling potential of heatspreaders in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Thermal lensing and its implications for quasi-monolithic microchip geometries are emphasised.