Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers for communications

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) are a novel type of laser in which the lasing light is emitted from the surface of the device, perpendicular to the gain layer, rather than from the edge of the laser, parallel to the gain layer. These lasers show interesting behavior, particularly involving mode dynamics and polarization. They show promising characteristics for use in communications applications but their behavior needs to be further understood before they can reach their potential. This chapter attempts to review VCSELs generally and discuss their use in communications systems.