Salsbury, Marc2009-11-192009-11-1920052009-11-19http://hdl.handle.net/1828/1874In this thesis, a novel method of imaging the near-field intensity patterns of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) is presented. The method is to use an imaging spectrometer to separate closely spaced modes and to image a vertical slice of each profile. The images are then reconstructed to form a composite image. Based on the near-field image, the refractive index profile of the VCSEL is extracted. The method to extract the refractive index profile is based on a method derived from Maxwell's Equations and the Poynting Vector. The results of both the mode images and the refractive index profile are found to be in agreement with those obtained elsewhere.enAvailable to the World Wide WebsemiconductorlasersUVic Subject Index::Sciences and Engineering::Engineering::Electrical engineeringThesis