Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor laser device with coupled cavities

US5353295A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
11References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 10, 1992
Grant dateOct 4, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 10, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/4068
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a form of the disclosure an array of coupled cavities (called minicavities) of a QWH semiconductor laser are defined by a native oxide of an aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material and are arranged serially end-to-end along the longitudinal direction. The native oxide confines the injected carriers and optical field within the cavities, resulting in reflection and optical feedback distributed periodically along the laser stripe. Single-longitudinal-mode operation is exhibited over an extended range. In a further form of the disclosure, two linear arrays of end-coupled minicavities are arranged side by side to obtain a two dimensional array, with resultant lateral coupling between the linear arrays. The two dimensional array exhibits mode switching and multiple switching in the light power (L) versus current (I) characteristic (L-I) with increasing current. In another form of the disclosure, a stripe laser is transversely coupled (or side-coupled) with a linear array of end-coupled minicavities. Bistability and switching are demonstrated in the light versus current (L-I) characteristic of a native-oxide-defined structure of this type. The device, with internally coupled ele…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.