Enhanced Supermode Stability in Weakly Anti-Guided Dual-Cavity Photonic Crystal VCSEL Arrays

We report on 940 nm dual-cavity photonic crystal vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays fabricated at a commercial foundry. These arrays leverage an anti-guided design enabled by reduced electrical resistance between optically coupled cavities. Characterization of output power and far-field beam profiles reveals distinct in-phase and out-of-phase supermode operation across expanded regions of coherent operation. A maximum output power in either supermode exceeding 4 mW under continuous wave operation is achieved. An iterative analysis of the cross-talk currents highlights their role in stabilizing supermode operation by enabling inter-cavity current coupling. Our results demonstrate that these arrays provide robust and stable coherent supermode lasing using a wide range of current combinations. The ability to selectively operate in either distinct supermode, combining the output from two elements, positions these VCSEL arrays as promising candidates for high-brightness applications requiring efficient beam control.