Quantum modeling of semiconductor gain materials and vertical-external- cavity surface-emitting laser systems

This article gives an overview of the microscopic theory used to quantitatively model a wide range of semiconductor laser gain materials. As a snapshot of the current state of research, applications to a variety of actual quantum-well systems are presented. Detailed theory-experiment comparisons are shown and it is analyzed how the theory can be used to extract poorly known material parameters. The intrinsic laser loss processes due to radiative and nonradiative Auger recombination are evaluated microscopically. The results are used for realistic simulations of vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser systems. To account for nonequilibrium effects, a simplified model is presented using pre-computed microscopic scattering and dephasing rates. Prominent deviations from quasi-equili- brium carrier distributions are obtained under strong in-well pumping conditions.