LAUSR

Abstract A traversal algorithm considering both of the mesa interval and the entire area of the mesas was applied to find a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array with minimal heat coupling factor. An optimized array was obtained and modeled in finite element software to simulate the thermal distribution. A conventional circular and an optimized array were fabricated. The maximum output power of optimized array is 14.3% higher than the conventional array and reaches 1.6 W operating in continuous wave (CW) mode. The wavelength shift of optimized VCSEL array is slightly slower than the reference device although its higher power.