Multiphysics CAD of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs)

Already established in several sensing and short-range data communication frameworks, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are approaching the automotive and smartphone mass markets as key elements for several breakthrough applications such as LiDARs and 3D cameras. Satisfying the forthcoming demand for VCSELs will require reliable computer-aided design tools aimed at supporting or even replacing the extensive prototype manufacturing campaigns, cutting down design costs. However, VCSEL modeling is a rather delicate and complex task, since predicting even the most basic features requires to address the complex interplay of optical, electrical and thermal phenomena.  To fill the present lack of CAD tools, the MOG group is involved in the development of the in-house Vcsel Electro-opto-thermal NUmerical Simulator VENUS. This model includes the 3D vectorial Vcsel ELectroMagnetic (VELM) mode solver developed at IEIIT-CNR, a stimulated and spontaneous emission model for quantum well active regions, a numerically-efficient thermal simulator based on the spectral element method and a drift-diffusion carrier transport model augmented with quantum corrections and with photon rate equations to allow for coupling with the optical model.  In addition to IEIIT-CNR, the project relies on the collaboration with Philips Photonics and Ulm University, which provide experimental feedback aimed at calibrating and validating our simulation framework.

ERC Sector:

  • PE7_3 Simulation engineering and modelling
  • PE7_5 (Micro and nano) electronic, optoelectronic and photonic components
  • PE7_6 Communication technology, high-frequency technology

Keywords:

  • Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers
  • Semiconductor device modeling

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