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US 10,707,650 B2Granted
High-speed VCSEL device
AssigneePrinceton Optronics, Inc.
InventorsChuni Ghosh, Jean-Francois Seurin, Delai Zhou, Laurence Watkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) includes a reflecting surface of the VCSEL. A gain region is positioned on the distributed Bragg reflector that generates optical gain. The gain region comprises a first and second multiple quantum well stack, a tunnel junction positioned between the first and second multiple quantum well stack, and a current aperture positioned on one of the first and second multiple quantum well stack. The current aperture confines a current flow in the gain region. A partially reflective surface and the reflective surface forming a VCSEL resonant cavity, wherein an output optical beam propagates from the partially reflecting surface.
Claims28
A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) comprising:
- a) a reflecting surface of the VCSEL;
- b) a gain region positioned on the reflective surface that generates optical gain, the gain region comprising:
- i. a first and a second multiple quantum well stack;
- ii. a tunnel junction positioned between the first and second multiple quantum well stack;
- and
- iii. a current aperture positioned on one of the first and second multiple quantum well stack, the current aperture confining a current flow in the gain region;
- and
- c) a partially reflective surface, the reflective surface, and the partially reflective surface forming a VCSEL resonant cavity, wherein an output optical beam propagates from the partially reflecting surface,
- d) a first electrical contact formed between a semiconductor substrate and the reflecting surface and a second electrical contact formed on the partially reflecting surface for applying electrical current to activate the VCSEL, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are on a same side of the semiconductor substrate and the first and second electrical contacts are separated by the gain region and the reflecting surface of the VCSEL,
- wherein the reflecting surface and the partially reflective surface includes a sub-wavelength grating structure,
- wherein the sub-wavelength grating structure includes a plurality of three-dimensional stripes,
- wherein the sub-wavelength grating structure is reflective for one direction of linear polarization,
- wherein the direction of linear polarization of the reflecting surface and the direction of linear polarization of the partially reflective surface are aligned,
- wherein a laser cavity mode of the VCSEL resonant cavity includes a node positioned at the tunnel junction, and
- wherein the laser cavity mode of the VCSEL resonant cavity includes an anti-node positioned at the first and the second multiple quantum well stack.
12 more elements
A top emitting Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) comprising:
- a) a high reflecting distributed Bragg reflector epitaxially grown on a semiconductor substrate;
- b) a gain region that generates optical gain comprising multiple semiconductor layers epitaxially grown above the high reflecting distributed Bragg reflector, the gain region comprising:
- i. a first and a second multiple quantum well stack;
- ii. a tunnel junction positioned between the first and second multiple quantum well stack;
- and
- iii. a current aperture positioned on one of the first and second multiple quantum well stack, the current aperture confining a current flow in the gain region;
- c) a partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector epitaxially grown above the gain region to form a VCSEL resonant cavity with the high reflecting distributed Bragg reflector, wherein an output optical beam propagates from the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector;
- d) a bottom electrical contact formed on the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- e) a top electrical contact formed on the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector, the top and bottom electrical contacts configured to receive an electrical current that activates the VCSEL,
- the VCSEL further comprising a sub-wavelength grating structure positioned adjacent to the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector,
- wherein the sub-wavelength grating structure includes a plurality of three-dimensional stripes,
- wherein the sub-wavelength grating structure is reflective for one direction of linear polarization,
- wherein a laser cavity mode of the VCSEL resonant cavity includes a node positioned at the tunnel junction, and
- wherein the laser cavity mode of the VCSEL resonant cavity includes an anti-node positioned at the first and the second multiple quantum well stack.
12 more elements
A bottom emitting Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) comprising:
- a) a partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector epitaxially grown on a semiconductor substrate;
- b) a gain region that generates optical gain comprising multiple semiconductor layers epitaxially grown above the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector, the gain region comprising:
- i. a first and a second multiple quantum well stack;
- ii. a tunnel junction positioned between the first and second multiple quantum well stack;
- and
- iii. an aperture positioned on one of the first and second multiple quantum well stack, the aperture confining a current flow in the gain region;
- c) a high reflecting distributed Bragg reflector epitaxially grown above the gain region to form a VCSEL resonant cavity with the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector, wherein an output optical beam propagates from the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector through the semiconductor substrate;
- d) a bottom electrical contact formed on the substrate;
- and
- e) a top electrical contact formed on the high reflecting distributed Bragg reflector, the top and bottom electrical contracts configured to receive an electrical current that activates the VCSEL,
- the VCSEL further comprising a sub-wavelength grating structure is positioned adjacent to the high reflecting distributed Bragg reflector and adjacent to the partially reflecting distributed Bragg reflector,
- wherein the sub-wavelength grating structure includes a plurality of three-dimensional stripes,
- wherein the sub-wavelength grating structure is reflective for one direction of linear polarization,
- wherein the direction of linear polarization of the reflecting surface and the direction of linear polarization of the partially reflective surface are aligned,
- wherein a laser cavity mode of the VCSEL resonant cavity includes a node positioned at the tunnel junction, and
- wherein the laser cavity mode of the VCSEL resonant cavity includes an anti-node positioned at the first and the second multiple quantum well stack.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.