Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB

The institute: Chalmers University of Technology is represented by the Optoelectronics Group at the Photonics Laboratory, which belongs to the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience. The Optoelectronics Group has many years of experience from research on semiconductor lasers, with a focus on surface emitting lasers based on GaAs. This includes vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and grating coupled surface emitting lasers (GCSELs). Most relevant for this proposal is the work on VCSELs which includes VCSELs in the wavelength range 670-1300 nm using different active materials (GaAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, AlInGaP, GaInNAs), mode and polarization control using surface structures, monolithic and hybrid integration with diffractive optics, high speed VCSELs for optical networks and interconnects, high frequency VCSELs for radio-over-fiber links, comprehensive modeling of static and dynamic characteristics, and optically pumped external cavity VCSELs (also using InP based materials). The group presently has 9 members, 4 being senior researchers and 5 being PhD students, and participates in several joint research projects with industry and other university groups. Funding is provided by the European Union and national funding agencies.

The resources: At Chalmers there is a state-of-the-art clean room facility (1000 m²) with both standard equipment (lithography, etching, deposition, analysis) and special equipment (electron beam lithography, chemically assisted reactive ion beam etching, molecular beam epitaxy) for the fabrication of lasers in III-V semiconductors. There is also a well-equipped laboratory for the evaluation of static and dynamic characteristics of semiconductor lasers.

The role in the project: Chalmers will be involved in the design and optimization of Antimonide-based mid-IR VCSELs using advanced numerical models. The mode and polarization selection in devices having a shallow surface structure will also be investigated, and optimal designs will be proposed. Finally, Chalmers will simulate the complex behavior of mid-IR VCSELs using a comprehensive quasi-3D model to gain insight into their physics and thereby limitations.