Method and apparatus for modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting lasers
US6339607B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 27, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jan 15, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 27, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/18311
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Modulated integrated optically pumped vertical cavity surface emitting lasers are formed by integrating an electrically pumped semiconductor laser and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) together with a means of direct modulation of the electrically pumped semiconductor laser. In the preferred embodiments, the electrically pumped semiconductor laser is a type of folded cavity surface emitting laser (FCSEL). In a number of embodiments, the FCSEL is partitioned into two sections by a gap in material layers. In these embodiments, one section of the FCSEL is biased so as to maintain the generation of photons at a constant power level to pump the optically pumped VCSEL while the second section of the FCSEL is used for modulation and causes the optically pumped VCSEL to be modulated above the threshold. In another embodiment, an electric-absorption modulator is sandwiched between an electrically pumped FCSEL and an optically pumped VCSEL. The electric-absorption modulator acts similar to a camera shutter and allows photons to pass through from the electrically pumped FCSEL to the optically pumped VCSEL when in one state and attenuates photons before reaching the optically pu…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.