Broad emission direction with two lobes is analyzed in a spiral-shaped microcavity laser. By pumping the boundary of the InGaAsP semiconductor laser with dc current injection, whispering-gallery-type modes emitting through a notch are obtained. By classifying the lasing modes into mode groups based on the equidistant mode spacing, it is shown that each mode group has its own emission direction with a narrow divergence angle and that a superposition of emission direction of dominant mode groups reproduces a far-field pattern of total intensity with two lobes, which is contrary to theoretical results.
© 2011 Optical Society of America