Phase modulation semiconductor laser array
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMichael Ettenberg, Donald B. Carlin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A phase-locked semiconductor laser array is dephased-locked by forming at least two p-type contacts electrically isolated from one another coupled to one side of the active region and a single contact layer coupled to the other side of the active region. The same current is applied to two p-type contacts to form a single phase-locked far-field lobe. A different current is applied to one of the two p-type contacts to drive one contact harder than the other to form a dephased multiple lobe beam. An effective aperture at the receiver receives the in-phase single lobe and blocks the multiple lobes to produce a modulation effect at the receiver.
Claims11
A semiconductor laser array comprising;
- a body of semiconductor material having first and second reflecting surfaces with at least said first reflecting surface being partially transparent at the laser wavelength so that light may be emitted therefrom;
- said body including:
- a substrate with first and second opposed planar major surfaces;
- a plurality of index guide means connected to the first major surface and extending between the reflecting surfaces;
- a first cladding layer overlying the first major surface of the substrate and said index guide means;
- a laser cavity region overlying the first cladding layer;
- a second cladding layer overlying the laser cavity region;
- and
- first and second electrical contacts coupled to the second cladding layer and the second major surface of the substrate respectively;
- wherein each index guide means is spaced from adjacent guide means by a distance such that laser oscillations adjacent to said guide means are phase-locked to one another upon application of a given current to said contacts;
- said first contacts including a plurality of spaced electrically isolated contacts extending parallel to said index guide means and adapted to selectively receive corresponding currents for selectively causing dephase modulation of said light emitted by said array.
A semiconductor laser array comprising:
- a body of semiconductor material having first and second reflecting surfaces with at least said first reflecting surface being partially transparent at the laser wavelength so that light may be emitted therefrom;
- said body including;
- a substrate with first and second opposed planar major surfaces;
- a plurality of substantially parallel channels with lands therebetween in first major surface and extending between the reflecting surfaces;
- a first cladding layer overlying the first major surface of the substrate and the channels;
- a laser cavity region overlying the first cladding layer;
- a second cladding layer overlying the laser cavity region;
- and
- first and second electrical contacts coupled to the second cladding layer and second major surface of the substrate respectively;
- wherein each channel is spaced from adjacent channels by a distance such that laser oscillations over said adjacent channels tend to be phase-locked to one another upon application of a given current to said contacts;
- and
- said first contacts including a plurality of spaced electrically isolated contacts extending parallel to said channels and adapted to receive corresponding current for selectively causing dephase modulation of said light emitted by said array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.