Effects of 2 MeV proton irradiation on operating wavelength and leakage current of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

We investigate the effect of 2 MeV proton radiation on high-speed oxide-confined vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. Fluences in the range of phi = 2.5 x 10(12) p/cm(2) to phi = 5 x 10(14) p/cm(2) were studied and laser threshold current was found to degrade linearly with fluence according to a damage factor of K-I = 2.77 x 10(-15) cm(2)/p. Laser operating wavelength increased with fluence and experienced a maximum Deltalambda/lambda of 0.71% at phi = 5 x 10(14) p/cm(2). Leakage current also increases as. a result of the proton irradiation. We propose a degradation model based on mobility reduction and carrier removal.