Semiconductor lasers

A semiconductor laser comprising:

• an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• an electrically pumped edge emitting laser coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to generate first photons at a first wavelength;
• a silicon bench coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the silicon bench including an angled facet to steer the first photons from the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to generate second photons at a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength in response to receiving the first photons.

A semiconductor laser comprising:

• an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• an electrically pumped edge emitting laser coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to generate first photons at a first wavelength, the electrically pumped edge emitting laser having an angled facet at one end to steer the first-photons from a cavity of the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to generate second photons at a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength in response to receiving the first photons.

A semiconductor laser comprising:

• an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• an electrically pumped edge emitting laser coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to generate first photons at a first wavelength;
• an external beam steering mirror coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the external beam steering mirror to steer the first photons from the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to generate second photons at a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength in response to receiving the first photons.

A semiconductor laser comprising:

• an index guided optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• an electrically pumped edge emitting laser coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to generate first photons at a first wavelength;
• a beam steering element coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the beam steering element to steer the first photons from the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to the index guided optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• the index guided optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to generate second photons at a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength in response to receiving the first photons.

A fiber optic module comprising:

• a transmitter to transmit signals, the transmitter including
• an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• an electrically pumped edge emitting laser coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to generate first photons at a first wavelength;
• a beam steering element coupled to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the beam steering element to steer the first photons from the electrically pumped edge emitting laser to the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to generate second photons at a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength in response to receiving the first photons.

A method comprising:

• electrically pumping an edge emitting laser to generate a pump laser beam;
• steering the pump laser beam to a vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• optically pumping the vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• emitting a long wavelength laser beam in response to the optical pumping.

An integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser comprising:

• a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the vertical cavity surface emitting laser including
• a first mirror stack,
• an active region coupled to the first mirror stack, the active region having one or more quantum well structures, and
• a second mirror stack coupled to the active region;
• an edge emitting laser coupled to the first mirror stack of the vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the edge emitting laser to generate a pump beam at a first wavelength;
• and
• a beam steering element coupled to the first mirror stack of the vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the beam steering element to steer the pump beam from the edge emitting laser to the vertical cavity surface emitting laser to optically pump the vertical cavity surface into emitting a long wavelength laser beam of a second wavelength greater than the first wavelength.

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

• a modulated electrically pumped edge emitting laser to generate photons;
• a beam steering element to steer the photons generated by the modulated electrically pumped edge emitting laser;
• and
• an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser coupled to the modulated electrically pumped edge emitting laser and beam steering element, the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to receive the photons steered by the beam steering element and to lase in response thereto and emit photons from the modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

A semiconductor laser apparatus comprising:

• a first semiconductor laser;
• a second semiconductor laser integrated with the first semiconductor laser;
• the first semiconductor laser being responsive to electrical pumping;
• the second semiconductor laser being responsive to optical pumping by the first semiconductor laser;
• means for index guiding the second semiconductor laser;
• and
• at least one beam steering element integrated with the first and second semiconductor lasers, the at least one beam steering element to steer photons of the first semiconductor laser into a mesa region of the second semiconductor laser.

A method of modulating an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser, the method comprising:

• providing an electrically pumped edge emitting laser;
• modulating the photonic emission of the electrically pumped edge emitting laser in response to a data modulation signal;
• steering the modulated photonic emission of the electrically pumped edge emitting laser into an optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser;
• and
• index guiding the optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting laser to generate a modulated laser beam output in response to modulating the photonic emission of the electrically pumped edge emitting laser at high frequencies.