US 6,553,048 B2 · Modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Abstract

Modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting lasers are formed by integrating an electrically pumped semiconductor laser and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) together with a means of direct modulation of the electrically pumped semiconductor laser. In the preferred embodiments, the electrically pumped semiconductor laser is a type of folded cavity surface emitting laser (FCSEL). In a number of embodiments, the FCSEL is partitioned into two sections by a gap in material layers. In these embodiments, one section of the FCSEL is biased so as to maintain the generation of photons at a constant power level to pump the optically pumped VCSEL while the second section of the FCSEL is used for modulation and causes the optically pumped VCSEL to be modulated above the threshold. In another embodiment, an electric-absorption modulator is sandwiched between an electrically pumped FCSEL and an optically pumped VCSEL. The electric-absorption modulator acts similar to a camera shutter and allows photons to pass through from the electrically pumped FCSEL to the optically pumped VCSEL when in one state and attenuates photons before reaching the optically pumped VCSEL when in another state.

Claims62

Dependent claims

A modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser comprising:

an electrically pumped surface emitting laser having
a first section, and
a second section adjacent the first section,
the second section being biased at a threshold level to generate first photons of a first power level,
the first section being modulated in response to a modulation signal from a drive circuit to modulate the first photons between the first power level and a second power level;
and,
an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser joined to the electrically pumped surface emitting laser, the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to receive the first photons emitted from the electrically pumped surface emitting laser at the second power level and lase thereby emitting second photons from the modulated Integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

4 more elements

A modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser comprising:

a two-section folded cavity surface emitting laser including
a first active region having one or more quantum well structures,
an internal-angled beam steering element and an external-angled beam steering element formed in the first active region to reflect photons,
a first section and a second section of a first distributed Bragg reflector, the first section adjacent the second section with the first distributed Bragg reflector having a gap separating the first section and the second section,
a first contact terminal and a second contact terminal respectively under the first section and the second section of the first distributed Bragg reflector, the first contact terminal and the second contact terminal being separated,
wherein the gap partitions the two-section folded cavity surface emitting laser into a first laser section and a second laser section;
and,
an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser joined to the two section folded cavity surface emitting laser to receive the first photons, the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser including
a second distributed Bragg reflector,
a second active region over the second distributed Bragg reflector, the second active region having one or more quantum well structures, and
a third distributed Bragg reflector over the second active region.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Life of this patent

Modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims62