High brightness, vertical cavity semiconductor lasers
US5461637A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 16, 1994 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 16, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2301/166
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for producing laser radiation from a vertical cavity semiconductor laser are disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes a quantum-well region formed over a semiconductor substrate. A first reflective surface is formed over the quantum-well region, and a second reflective surface is formed over the substrate, opposite the first reflective surface, forming a laser cavity. The quantum-well region is optically pumped, producing laser oscillation. The absorbed pump power causes a thermal lensing effect within the semiconductor material, stabilizing the transverse spatial mode of the laser cavity. The invention has applications in optical communication and laser printing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.