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US 6,556,607 B1Granted
Temperature compensated lasers
AssigneePicolight Incorporated
InventorJack L. Jewell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novel approach for providing temperature compensation for semiconductor lasers is disclosed. This approach utilizes reflectivity characteristics in the at least one of the mirrors of the semiconductor laser to provide temperature compensation to the device.
Claims32
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having an emission wavelength and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror;
- and
- optical means for compensating said semiconductor laser for temperature variations in the slope of output power vs. input power of said semiconductor laser, wherein said semiconductor laser comprises a VCSEL.
2 more elements
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having a first emission wavelength and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- and
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror, said second mirror having a first reflectivity at a first emission wavelength at a first temperature, and a second reflectivity lower than said first reflectivity at a second emission wavelength at a second temperature higher than said first temperature.
1 more element
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having a first emission wavelength and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- and
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror, said first mirror having a first reflectivity at a first emission wavelength at a first temperature, and a second reflectivity higher than said first reflectivity at a second emission wavelength at a second temperature higher than said first temperature, wherein said semiconductor laser comprises a VCSEL.
1 more element
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having a first emission wavelength at a first temperature and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- and
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror, wherein either or both of said first or second mirrors has at least a portion which has a respective local minimum in reflectivity disposed between two respective maximums in reflectivity said respective local minimum disposed near said emission wavelength at a first temperature, wherein said semiconductor laser comprises a VCSEL.
1 more element
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having a first emission wavelength at a first temperature and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror, wherein said first mirror has a first transmissivity at said first emission wavelength at said first temperature, said second mirror has a second transmissivity at said first emission wavelength at said first temperature, said first mirror has a third transmissivity at a second emission wavelength at a second temperature higher than said first temperature, said second mirror has a fourth transmissivity at said second emission wavelength at said second temperature, a ratio of said fourth transmissivity to said third transmissivity being larger that a ratio of said second transmissivity to said first transmissivity, wherein said semiconductor laser comprises a VCSEL.
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having a first emission wavelength at a first temperature and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror, wherein said first mirror comprises at least first and second respective layers, said first layer comprising a high-index material and said second layer comprising a low-index material, said first layer having a Δn/ΔT which is greater than a Δn/ΔT associated with said second layer, wherein said first mirror comprises optical means for compensating said semiconductor laser for temperature variations in the slope of the output power vs. input power of said semiconductor laser.
A semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser having a first emission wavelength and comprising:
- a light emitting material;
- means for causing said light emitting material to emit light;
- and
- at least first and second mirrors disposed on opposite sides of said light emitting material thereby forming an optical cavity inside which lasing occurs and from which output power is emitted through said second mirror, said first mirror having a first reflectivity at a first emission wavelength at a first temperature, and a second reflectivity higher than said first reflectivity at a second emission wavelength at a second temperature higher than said first temperature, wherein said first mirror comprises at least two semiconductor layers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.