Patent · US Expired

Multi-beam, orthogonally-polarized emitting monolithic quantum well lasers

US5412678A · kind A · utility

46Cited by
7References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 1992
Grant dateMay 2, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 22, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/34326
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A QW diode laser generating orthogonally polarized multiple beams. The device incorporates quantum well active regions capable of, transitions to heavy hole and light hole band edges. The heavy hole transition provides TE-mode gain, while the light hole band provides mostly TM-mode gain. By controlling the compositions and thicknesses of the active regions, both modes can be obtained in a monolithic structure. In addition, the resulting laser polarization will be very sensitive to the threshold carrier density. With an intracavity loss modulator in such a structure, the polarization can also be controlled. Other ways of causing side-by-side lasers to operate, respectively, in their TE or TM modes are also described.

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