Single fundamental-mode output power exceeding 6 mW from VCSELs with a shallow surface relief

A single fundamental-mode output power of 6.5 mW was achieved from an 850-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with a shallow surface relief, the highest single-mode power ever reported using this technique. The VCSELs were fabricated from epitaxial material grown to yield an antiphase reflection from the topmost layer. A circular surface relief, acting as a mode discriminator, was etched in the center to reduce the mirror loss for the fundamental mode. This "inverted" surface-relief technique offers relaxed etch depth control and, therefore, improves reproducibility and yield.