Distributed oxide lens for beam shaping
AssigneeLumentum Operations LLC
InventorsAlbert Yuen, Eric R. Hegblom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) may include a substrate and a set of epitaxial layers on the substrate. The set of epitaxial layers may include a first mirror and a second mirror, an active region between the first mirror and the second mirror, and an oxidation layer to provide optical and electrical confinement in the VCSEL. The oxidation layer may be near the first mirror. The set of epitaxial layers may include an oxide lens to control a characteristic of an output beam emitted by the VCSEL. The oxide lens may be separate from the oxidation layer, and may be a lens that is separate from the first mirror and from the second mirror.
Claims20
A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a set of epitaxial layers on the substrate, the set of epitaxial layers including:
- a first mirror and a second mirror;
- an active region between the first mirror and the second mirror;
- an oxidation layer to provide optical and electrical confinement in the VCSEL,
- wherein the oxidation layer is near the first mirror;
- and
- an oxide lens to control a characteristic of an output beam emitted by the VCSEL,
- wherein the oxide lens is separate from the oxidation layer,
- wherein the oxide lens has an oxidation profile that is substantially asymmetric about an axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the VCSEL through a center of an optical aperture of the oxidation layer, such that oxidized layers of the oxide lens are on only one lateral side of the center with respect to the axis, and
- wherein the oxide lens is a lens that is separate from the first mirror and from the second mirror.
A method, comprising:
- forming a first mirror, a second mirror, an active region, and an oxidation layer,
- wherein the active region is formed between the first mirror and the second mirror,
- wherein the oxidation layer is formed near the first mirror, and
- wherein the oxidation layer is to provide optical and electrical confinement of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL);
- and
- forming an oxide lens,
- wherein the oxide lens is separate from the oxidation layer,
- wherein the oxide lens is a lens that is separate from the first mirror and from the second mirror,
- wherein the oxide lens has an oxidation profile that is substantially asymmetric about an axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the VCSEL through a center of an optical aperture of the oxidation layer, such that oxidized layers of the oxide lens are on only one lateral side of the center with respect to the axis, and
- wherein the oxide lens is to control a characteristic of an output beam emitted by the VCSEL.
An emitter wafer, comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a set of epitaxial layers on the substrate, the set of epitaxial layers including:
- an active region between a first mirror and a second mirror;
- an oxidation layer near the first mirror;
- and
- an oxide lens,
- wherein the oxide lens is separated from the oxidation layer by at least a portion of the first mirror or at least a portion of the second mirror,
- wherein the oxide lens is a lens that is separate from the first mirror and from the second mirror,
- wherein the oxide lens has an oxidation profile that is substantially asymmetric about an axis extending in a longitudinal direction of an emitter in the emitter wafer, through a center of an optical aperture of the oxidation layer, such that oxidized layers of the oxide lens are on only one lateral side of the center with respect to the axis, and
- wherein the oxide lens is to control an effective index of refraction encountered by an output beam of the emitter in association with controlling a characteristic of the output beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.