Intracavity quantum well photodetector integrated within a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser and method of operating same
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsSui F. Lim, Connie J. Chang-Hasnain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vertical-cavity surface emitting laser is constructed with an intracavity quantum well photodetector. The quantum well photodetector is placed at an optical intensity peak at the Fabry-Perot wavelength. The device may include a current confinement layer in the form of an oxidation layer, an air gap, or proton implantation. The device may be formed with a semi-insulating substrate, a p+ doped substrate, or an n+ doped substrate. Embodiments of the invention include an air bridge contact, a ridge waveguide structure, and buried heterostructure layers.
Claims23
A diode laser, comprising:
- a contact to receive a control signal;
- a sandwich of distributed Bragg reflector mirror stacks responding to said control signal to produce excess charge carriers, each distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack of said sandwich of distributed Bragg reflector mirror stacks having an alternate doping with respect to an adjacent distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack of said sandwich;
- an active gain region positioned within said sandwich, said active gain region receiving said excess charge carriers to produce emitted light;
- and
- a quantum well photodetector positioned within said sandwich to monitor said emitted light.
A method of operating a diode laser, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a control signal;
- generating laser emissions in a sandwich of distributed Bragg reflector mirror stacks in response to said control signal, each distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack of said sandwich of distributed Bragg reflector mirror stacks having an alternate doping with respect to an adjacent distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack of said sandwich;
- and
- monitoring said laser emissions with a quantum well photodetector positioned within said sandwich.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.