Integrated pump laser and rare earth waveguide amplifier
AssigneeTranslucent, Inc.
InventorsDavid L. Williams, Andrew Clark, Michael Lebby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A light amplifier includes a single crystal semiconductor substrate with a rare earth oxide, light amplifying gain medium deposited on the substrate and formed into a light waveguide, and a pump laser. A lattice matching virtual substrate integrates the pump laser to the gain medium with a first opposed surface crystal lattice matched to the gain medium and second opposed surface crystal lattice matched to the pump laser. The pump laser is positioned with a light output surface coupled to a light input surface of the gain medium so as to introduce pump energy into the light waveguide. The light amplifier has a very small footprint and allows the integration of control and monitoring electronics.
Claims26
A light amplifier comprising:
- a rare earth oxide, light amplifying gain medium formed into a light waveguide with a light input surface;
- a pump laser having a light output surface;
- a lattice matching virtual substrate having first and second opposed surfaces, the first opposed surface being substantially crystal lattice matched to the rare earth oxide light amplifying gain medium and the second opposed surface being substantially crystal lattice matched to the pump laser, the pump laser being further positioned with the light output surface adjacent the light input surface of the gain medium so as to introduce pump energy into the light waveguide;
- and
- the lattice matching virtual substrate including a first layer of single crystal rare earth oxide material with a crystal structure and spacing substantially the same as the crystal structure and spacing of the rare earth oxide light amplifying gain medium and a second layer of single crystal rare earth oxide material with a crystal structure and spacing substantially the same as the crystal structure and spacing of an adjacent surface of the pump laser.
A light amplifier comprising:
- a single crystal semiconductor substrate;
- a rare earth oxide, light amplifying gain medium deposited on the semiconductor substrate and formed into a light waveguide with a light input surface;
- a pump laser having a light output surface;
- and
- a lattice matching virtual substrate including a first layer of single crystal rare earth oxide material with a crystal structure and spacing substantially the same as the crystal structure and spacing of the light amplifying gain medium and a first opposed surface and a second layer of single crystal rare earth oxide material with a crystal structure and spacing substantially the same as the crystal structure and spacing of an adjacent surface of the pump laser and a second opposed surface, the lattice matching virtual substrate integrating the light amplifying gain medium and the pump laser with the first opposed surface being substantially crystal lattice matched to the light amplifying gain medium and the second opposed surface being substantially crystal lattice matched to the pump laser, the pump laser being further positioned with the light output surface coupled to the light input surface of the gain medium so as to introduce pump energy into the light waveguide.
A method of fabricating a light amplifier comprising the steps of:
- providing a rare earth oxide, light amplifying gain medium formed into a light waveguide with a light input surface;
- growing a lattice matching virtual substrate on the light amplifying gain medium, the lattice matching virtual substrate being substantially crystal lattice matched to the light amplifying gain medium, the virtual substrate having an opposed surface, and growing the lattice matching virtual substrate including growing a first material of single crystal rare earth oxide with a crystal structure and spacing substantially the same as the crystal structure and spacing of the rare earth oxide light amplifying gain medium and a second material of single crystal rare earth oxide with a crystal structure and spacing substantially the same as the crystal structure and spacing of an adjacent surface of the pump laser;
- and
- growing a pump laser on the opposed surface of the light amplifying medium, the opposed surface of the light amplifying medium being crystal lattice matched to the pump laser, the pump laser being further positioned with a light output surface adjacent the light input surface of the gain medium so as to introduce pump energy into the light waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.