Influence of de-tuning and non-radiative recombination on the temperature dependence of 1.3 μm GaAsSb/GaAs vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

In this letter, we measure the pure spontaneous emission and lasing emission from a working vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) for a wide range of temperatures. From this spontaneous emission, we gain insight into the temperature dependence of the radiative component of the threshold current (and hence gain). Together with the temperature dependence of the threshold current, the cavity mode to gain peak alignment and the temperature dependence of an equivalent active region edge emitting laser, we show how non-radiative recombination coupled with gain-cavity de-tuning influences the thermal properties of these devices. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3625938]