Vertical cavity surface emitting laser that uses intracavity degenerate four wave mixing to produce phase-conjugated and distortion free collimated laser light

A semiconductor laser, comprising:

• a first reflector assembly having an upper face;
• a second reflector assembly having a lower face that faces the upper face of the first reflector assembly;
• and
• means, between the first and second reflector assemblies, for providing a phase conjugator between the first and second reflector assemblies, wherein the means for providing a phase conjugator includes at least two semiconductor active regions that are each not parallel to the upper face of the first reflector assembly.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser, comprising

• a first reflector assembly having an upper face;
• a second reflector assembly having a lower face facing the upper face of the first reflector assembly, the first and second reflector assemblies defining a resonant cavity;
• and
• a phase conjugator between the first and second reflector assemblies, the phase conjugator including:
• a first semiconductor active region parallel to the upper face of the first reflector assembly and the lower face of the second reflector assembly;
• a second semiconductor active region that is not parallel to the first semiconductor active region, wherein the second semiconductor active region is between the first semiconductor active region and the lower face of the second reflector assembly;
• and
• a third semiconductor active region that is not parallel to the first semiconductor active region and wherein the third semiconductor active region is between the first semiconductor active region and the upper face of the first reflector assembly.

A device, comprising an array of semiconductor lasers, wherein each semiconductor laser includes:

• a first reflector assembly having an upper face;
• second reflector assembly having a lower face facing the upper face of the first reflector assembly;
• and
• a phase conjugator between the first and second reflector assemblies, the phase conjugator including:
• a first semiconductor active region parallel to the upper face of the first reflector assembly and the lower face of the second reflector assembly;
• a second semiconductor active region that is not parallel to the first semiconductor active region and wherein the second semiconductor active region is between the first semiconductor active region and the lower face of the second reflector assembly;
• and
• a third semiconductor active region that is not parallel to the first semiconductor active region and wherein the third semiconductor active region is between the first semiconductor active region and the upper face of the lower reflector assembly.