# US 10,770,865 B1 · Multi-stripe edge-emitting laser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,865 B1 - Document ID: US10770865B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/408,916 - Filed: 2019-05-10 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-10 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Shiva Shahin; Dale Eugene Zimmerman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770865B1 ## CPC - H01S 5/4031: {Edge-emitting structures} - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - H01S 5/042: Electrical excitation {; Circuits therefor (monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261)} - H01S 5/06804: {by monitoring an external parameter, e.g. temperature} - H01S 5/1039: {Details on the cavity length} - H01S 5/22: having a ridge or stripe structure - H01S 5/4012: {Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms} - H01S 5/4093: {Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion} - G02B 2027/0112: {comprising device for genereting colour display} - G02B 2027/0118: {comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility} - G02B 2027/0178: {Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C)} - H01S 5/0652: {Coherence lowering or collapse, e.g. multimode emission by additional input or modulation} - H01S 5/1025: {Extended cavities} - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An edge-emitting laser including a substrate, a lower power optical cavity located on the substrate and a higher power optical cavity located on the substrate adjacent the lower power optical cavity. The lower power optical cavity includes a first active gain section having a first length. The higher power optical cavity includes a second active gain section having a second length greater than the first length. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An edge-emitting laser, comprising: a substrate; a lower power optical cavity located on the substrate, the lower power optical cavity including a first active gain section having a first length; and a higher power optical cavity located on the substrate adjacent the lower power optical cavity, the higher power optical cavity including a second active gain section having a second length greater than the first length, wherein the edge-emitting laser is configured to lase coherent light into a waveguide, and wherein a length of the lower power optical cavity and a length of the higher power optical cavity are tuned to avoid fringe interference due to coherent light propagating through the waveguide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The edge-emitting laser of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to excite the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity based on a target optical power being less than an optical power threshold, and excite the second active gain section to lase coherent light from the higher power optical cavity based on the target optical power being greater than the optical power threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The edge-emitting laser of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to excite the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity without exciting the second active gain section based on the target optical power being less than the optical power threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The edge-emitting laser of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to excite the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity based on the target optical power being greater than the optical power threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The edge-emitting laser of claim 2, wherein the optical power threshold is derived from a lasing threshold at which the higher power optical cavity lases coherent light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The edge-emitting laser of claim 5, wherein the optical power threshold varies as a function of a temperature of the higher power optical cavity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The edge emitting laser of claim 1, further comprising an optical combiner configured to receive either or both of coherent light lased by the lower power optical cavity and coherent light lased by the higher power optical cavity, and direct the coherent light lased by the lower power optical cavity and coherent light lased by the higher power optical cavity to a same optical output path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The edge-emitting laser of claim 1, wherein the lower power optical cavity has a first length and the higher power optical cavity has a second length greater than the first length. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The edge-emitting laser of claim 1, wherein the lower power optical cavity has a first passive section that increases a functional length of the lower power optical cavity without further amplifying the optical power of light reflecting within the lower power optical cavity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The edge-emitting laser of claim 1, wherein the lower power optical cavity and the higher power optical cavity have a same length. ### Claim 11 An edge-emitting laser, comprising: a substrate; a lower power optical cavity located on the substrate, the lower power optical cavity including a first active gain section having a first length; a higher power optical cavity located on the substrate adjacent the lower power optical cavity, the higher power optical cavity including a second active gain section having a second length greater than the first length; and a controller configured to excite the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity based on a target optical power being less than an optical power threshold, and excite the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity and excite the second active gain section to lase coherent light from the higher power optical cavity based on the target optical power being greater than the optical power threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The edge-emitting laser of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to excite the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity without exciting the second active gain section based on the target optical power being less than the optical power threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The edge-emitting laser of claim 11, wherein the optical power threshold is derived from a lasing threshold at which the higher power optical cavity lases coherent light. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The edge-emitting laser of claim 13, wherein the minimum threshold current varies as a function of a temperature of the higher power optical cavity. ### Claim 15 A method for operating a multi-stripe edge-emitting laser including a lower power optical cavity located on a substrate and a higher power optical cavity located on the substrate adjacent the lower power optical cavity, the method comprising: exciting a first active gain section of the lower power optical cavity to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity based on a target optical power being less than an optical power threshold; and based on the target optical power being greater than the optical power threshold, exciting the first active gain section to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity and exciting a second active gain section of the higher power optical cavity to lase coherent light from the higher power optical cavity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first active gain section is excited to lase coherent light from the lower power optical cavity without exciting the second active gain section based on the target optical power being less than the optical power threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the optical power threshold is derived from a lasing threshold at which the higher power optical cavity lases coherent light.