Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design

Hang Lu; Omar Alkhazragi; Heming Lin; Tien Khee Ng; Boon S. Ooi

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01996-7

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Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design

Original Articles

- Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design
- Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design
- Light: Science & Applications 2025年14卷第11期页码：3688-3702
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Photonics Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering Program, Division of Computer, Electrical, and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  2.Department of Electrical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
  3.Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
- Author bio：
  
  Boon S. Ooi (boon.ooi@kaust.edu.sa)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01996-7
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-01-26，
  
  修回：2025-07-23，
  
  录用：2025-07-31，
  
  网络出版：2025-09-28，
  
  纸质出版：2025-11-30
- Accepted：
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Hang Lu, Omar Alkhazragi, Heming Lin, 等. Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2025,14(11):3688-3702.

Lu, H. et al. Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3688-3702 (2025).
Hang Lu, Omar Alkhazragi, Heming Lin, 等. Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2025,14(11):3688-3702. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01996-7.

Lu, H. et al. Shaping the light of VCSELs through cavity geometry design. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3688-3702 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01996-7.

摘要

Abstract

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are essential in modern optoelectronic systems

driving applications in high-speed optical communications

3D sensing

and LiDAR. While significant progress has been made in improving VCSEL performance

the role of cavity geometry in optimizing key optical characteristics remains insufficiently explored. This study systematically examines how distinct cavity geometries—circular

square

D-shaped

mushroom-shaped

and pentagonal—affect both the static and dynamic properties of broad-area VCSELs. We analyze their effects on optical power

multimode behavior

beam profile

spatial coherence

and polarization dynamics. Our results show that breaking the continuous rotational symmetry of the cavity effectively increases gain utilization and power

changes the multimode lasing characteristics

shapes the beam

and modifies the polarization. Notably

the pentagonal VCSEL exhibits more than twice the optical power density of its circular counterpart. It also supports the highest number of modes and the fastest mode dynamics

driven by strong mode interaction. These properties make it a strong candidate for high-speed entropy generation. Mushroom-shaped VCSELs demonstrate high power and low spatial coherence

making them ideal for speckle-free imaging and illumination applications. Meanwhile

D-shaped VCSELs provide the most stable polarization and controllable multimode behavior with high power

showcasing their potential for applications that require stable and low-coherence light sources. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of cavity geometry on VCSEL performance

which provides insights for optimizing VCSEL designs tailored to diverse applications that require distinct properties with broad applicability to advanced imaging

sensing

optical coherence tomography

high-speed communication

and other photonic technologies.

关键词

Keywords

references

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