Competition between spatial Fourier modes in a wide-aperture vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser

Formation of periodic structures in a transverse cross section of the emission of vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers is studied. It is shown that spatial Fourier modes of the emission are selected not only through the well-known mechanism related to the gain dispersion, but also through the dependence of the reflection coefficient of Bragg mirrors on the angle of incidence of the wave. This mechanism gives rise to the selection of standing transverse waves, whose direction is determined by the polarisation vector of the radiation. The effect of the laser cavity symmetry with respect to the active layer on the mode selection is studied.