Narrow-linewidth single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser
| DWPI Title: Coupled-cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) used in computer mice, has top reflector that is formed on active region and is adapted to be highly reflective at operating wavelength and is adapted to transmit optical output |
| Abstract: A coupled-cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) is disclosed. The coupled-cavity VCSEL includes a passive cavity and an additional distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) not found in conventional VCSELs, all in a monolithic device. By including these two elements, the photon lifetime may be increased by a factor of approximately ten, leading to a reduction in the laser linewidth by a factor of approximately 100 compared to conventional VCSELs. The two additional elements also serve to ensure single-mode operation of the coupled-cavity VCSEL. |
| Use: Coupled-cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) used in computer mice, communication system and printer. |
| Advantage: The lattice-matched structures provide many benefits with improved reliability due to fewer dislocations in the crystal structure which also improve overall efficiency as such dislocations may create current sinks and increase optical scattering and optical absorption. |
| Novelty: The VCSEL (100) has a bottom reflector that is adapted to be very highly reflective at an operating wavelength. A passive cavity (130) is formed on the bottom reflector and has a thickness equal to an integer multiple of one half of the operating wavelength in the passive cavity. A middle reflector is formed on the passive cavity and is adapted to be moderately reflective at the operating wavelength. An active region (150) is formed on the middle reflector and is adapted to provide optical gain at the operating wavelength. A top reflector is formed on the active region and is adapted to be highly reflective at the operating wavelength. The top reflector is adapted to transmit an optical output when the coupled-cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is operating. |
| Filed: 8/15/2019 |
| Application Number: US16541237A |
| Tech ID: SD 14838.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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