Fast polarization-switchable semiconductor lasers
US4612645A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 1984 |
| Grant date | Sep 16, 1986 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/32391
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The laser device of the present invention comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a first cladding layer of semiconductor formed on the substrate; an active layer of semiconductor formed on the first cladding layer, thereby forming a junction plane between the active layer and the first cladding layer; a second cladding layer of semiconductor formed on the active layer and a cap layer of semiconductor formed on the second cladding layer; the active layer having a lattice constant parallel to the junction plane sufficiently larger than the lattice constant normal to the junction plane so as to increase the optical gain of the TM mode relative to the optical gain of the normally operating TE mode, such that at a first injection current level, the laser device operates in the TM mode and at a second injection current level, the laser device operates in the TE mode. The laser output of the laser device of the present invention can be switched between a pure TM mode and a pure TE mode with nanosecond response time by varying injection current levels of the device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.