Abstract: Methods for fabricating a VCSEL having current confinement, the VCSEL having a substrate, a semiconductor active region, and a bottom mirror disposed between the substrate and the active region. A first top spacer layer is epitaxially grown on the active region, the first top spacer layer comprising a current-spreading buffer layer disposed on the active region, a current-confinement layer disposed on the buffer layer, and a current-spreading platform layer disposed on the current-confinement layer, wherein the combined thickness of the platform and current-confinement layers is less than the thickness of the buffer layer. A current-confinement structure having an annular region of enhanced resistivity and a central aperture of comparatively lower resistivity is formed in the current-confinement layer using ion implantation. Subsequently, epitaxial regrowth is performed to form a second top spacer layer on the platform layer, said second top spacer layer comprising a top current-spreading layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed a method of fabricating a VCSEL. First, a substrate with a back surface and a front surface is provided. Then, a first reflector, an active region, and a second reflector are disposed on the front surface. The first reflector is disposed on the front surface. The active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector. Then, anti-reflection features are formed into the back surface of the substrate to reduce specular reflection of light into the active region.

Abstract: An assembly for improved alignment of a laser for generating laser light with an optical fiber having an end section terminating in a light-receiving end. A laser housing has a base and substantially cylindrical housing walls mounted at a bottom portion to the base. The laser can be mounted on the base. The substantially cylindrical internal surface of the cylindrical housing walls have internal threads at a top portion. The internal threads have a minor diameter and a major diameter. An annular ferrule housing has a substantially cylindrical through-hole with an inner diameter sufficient to receive a fiber ferrule which has the end section of the fiber disposed therein. The ferrule housing further has an axially tapered external surface having external threads which are threadably compatible with the internal threads.

Abstract: An optically-pumped (OP) multiple quantum well (MQW) active region is disposed in an optical cavity of an OP VCSEL, which generates laser light at a lasing wavelength. The OP VCSEL receives pump light at a first end of the optical cavity. A plurality of quantum well (QW) groups are equally spaced within the active region to correspond in position with antinodes of a standing wave of the lasing wavelength in the optical cavity. The QW groups include a first QW group that is closest to the first end of the optical cavity, and a last QW group that is farthest from the first end of the optical cavity. A plurality of equally thick intermediate absorbing layers are disposed between adjacent QW groups. A last absorbing layer is disposed adjacent to the side of the last QW group farthest away from the first end of the optical cavity. A first absorbing layer is disposed adjacent to the side of the first QW group closest to the first end of the optical cavity.

Abstract: A surface-emitting laser, such as a VCSEL, for generating single-transverse mode laser light at a lasing wavelength, has a first mirror and a second mirror positioned so as to define a laser cavity therebetween, and a semiconductor active region disposed between the first and second mirrors for amplifying, by stimulated emission, light in the laser cavity at the lasing wavelength. An annular antiguide structure is disposed within the laser cavity and between the active region and one of the first and second mirrors, the annular antiguide structure comprising an antiguide material and having a central opening, the central opening comprising a second material having an index of refraction for light at the lasing wavelength smaller than that of the antiguide material, whereby the annular antiguide structure causes preferential antiguiding of higher order transverse lasing modes in the laser cavity.

Abstract: A multiple reflectivity band reflector (MRBR) includes a stack of dielectric layers, arranged so that the reflector has a reflectivity profile comprising a plurality of reflectivity bands, e.g. at least first and second wavelength bands with reflectivity above a lasing threshold reflectivity, separated by a third wavelength band between the first and second wavelength bands having reflectivity below the lasing threshold reflectivity. A laser having at least a first mirror and an MRBR as the second mirror has a laser cavity, at least a portion of which is defined by the first mirror and the MRBR. An active region located within the laser cavity contains a material that is capable of stimulated emission at one or more wavelengths in the first and second wavelength bands. The gain spectrum of the laser is adjusted to select one of the first and second wavelength bands, thereby providing for lasing at a wavelength within the selected wavelength band. The laser may be, e.g.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and VCSEL for improved heat removal/dispersion. The VCSEL comprises a bottom mirror, an active region disposed on the bottom mirror, a heat spreading layer disposed on the active region, and a top mirror disposed above the heat spreading layer. The heat spreading layer may be composed of InP.

Abstract: A monitored laser system has a laser having a first mirror; an exit mirror, at least a portion of a laser cavity defined by the first mirror and the exit mirror; and an active region located in the laser cavity, the active region containing a material that is capable of stimulated emission at one or more wavelengths of laser light within a tuning range of the laser. A multiple reflectivity band reflector (MRBR) is coupled to at least a portion of laser light emitted from the laser and transmits filtered laser light. The MRBR has a plurality of layers of material arranged in parallel such that the reflector has a plurality of reflectivity peaks within the tuning range, each reflectivity peak separated from neighboring reflectivity peak by a reflectivity trough having a trough minimum, said reflectivity peaks characterized by a peak profile and said trough minima between said reflectivity peaks characterized by a trough profile.

Abstract: A monitored laser system includes a laser with a first mirror and an exit mirror. The laser also has a laser cavity defined at least in part by the first mirror and the exit mirror. Within the laser cavity is an active region that contains material that is capable of stimulated emission at one or more wavelengths such that laser light is emitted from the laser. A power source is coupled to the active region. A multiple reflectivity band reflector (MRBR) is coupled to at least a portion of the emitted laser light. The MRBR has at least first and second wavelength bands with reflectivity above a particular reflectivity separated by at least a third wavelength band having reflectivity below the particular reflectivity. A first photodiode is coupled to at least a portion of the filtered laser light and produces an output based on the amount and wavelength of light received.

Abstract: A multiple reflectivity band reflector (MRBR) includes a stack of dielectric layers, arranged so that the reflector has a reflectivity profile comprising a plurality of reflectivity bands, e.g. at least first and second wavelength bands with reflectivity above a lasing threshold reflectivity, separated by a third wavelength band between the first and second wavelength bands having reflectivity below the lasing threshold reflectivity. A laser having at least a first mirror and an MRBR as the second mirror has a laser cavity, at least a portion of which is defined by the first mirror and the MRBR. An active region located within the laser cavity contains a material that is capable of stimulated emission at one or more wavelengths in the first and second wavelength bands. The gain spectrum of the laser is adjusted to select one of the first and second wavelength bands, thereby providing for lasing at a wavelength within the selected wavelength band. The laser may be, e.g.

Abstract: A substrate including a base substrate, an interfacial bonding layer disposed on the base substrate, and a thin film adaptive crystalline layer disposed on the interfacial bonding layer. The interfacial bonding layer is solid at room temperature, and is in liquid-like form when heated to a temperature above room temperature. The interfacial bonding layer may be heated during epitaxial growth of a target material system grown on the thin film layer to provide the thin film layer with lattice flexibility to adapt to the different lattice constant of the target material system.

Abstract: A lens-fiber alignment housing for passively aligning an optical fiber with a lens, for improved alignment of a laser with the fiber, via the lens. The fiber is disposed in a substantially cylindrical, annular ferrule, the bottom end of which is disposed in the first end of a ferrule sleeve. The housing has an upper cylindrical mating section at a first end for mating with the second end of the ferrule sleeve, and a bottom lens-receiving section for securely receiving and mounting a lens. The lens may be mounted into the lens-receiving section of the housing, so that, when the housing is inserted into the second end of the ferrule sleeve, the lens and fiber are automatically, passively aligned, thereby forming an aligned lens-fiber assembly that can be aligned with the laser in a single active alignment procedure.

Abstract: A planar lightwave circuit (PLC) module for conditioning light output from a tunable laser designed to generate light at a target wavelength. The PLC module has a substrate; a primary waveguide embedded in said substrate, said primary waveguide having an input end for receiving light from the tunable laser and an output end for outputting said light; and at least a first secondary waveguide embedded in said substrate, said first secondary waveguide receiving a first portion of said light from the tunable laser. A filter having a passband centered on the target wavelength is coupled to an output of the first secondary waveguide to receive said first portion of light, and generates a signal related to the intensity of said first portion of light in the passband centered on the target wavelength. This may be used by a processor and associated laser control circuitry for wavelength locking purposes.

Abstract: An optical device has at least one reflector disposed in an optical cavity. The reflector has a plurality of mirror pairs each comprising a pair of layers, each layer of each mirror pair having an index of refraction different than that of the other layer of the respective mirror pair. A tuning layer is disposed in the reflector, the tuning layer having an index of refraction different from that of the layers of the mirror pairs. In another embodiment, the reflector has first and second adjacent reflector sections, each reflector section having a respective plurality of mirror pairs where the difference in refractive index of a mirror pair's layers defines a refractive index contrast for the mirror pair.

Abstract: A method is provided, the method comprising forming a first of n masking layers for a device and forming a first of n phase-shift layers for the device using the first of the n masking layers. The method also comprises forming a second of n masking layers for a device, and forming a second of n phase-shift layers for the device using the second of the n masking layers and forming at least n+1 and at most 2n different optical thicknesses for the device using the n masking layers and the n phase-shift layers.

Abstract: An embodiment of a surface-emitting laser structure includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type coupled to a first contact and a second semiconductor region of the same conductivity type coupled to a second contact. A third semiconductor region of the opposite conductivity type is coupled to a third contact and interposed between the first and second semiconductor regions. An active region is interposed between the first and third regions. In a further embodiment, the laser structure may include a variable refractive index structure interposed between the second and third semiconductor regions. In another embodiment, a surface-emitting laser structure may include an active region between a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type coupled to a first contact, and a second As semiconductor region of opposite conductivity type coupled to a second contact. A third electrical contact is dielectrically spaced from the second semiconductor region.

Abstract: A vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) is formed by providing a monolithic portion having a first laser cavity mirror and an active region disposed on the first mirror. The cavity is completed with a second laser cavity mirror, such as a DBR, deposited onto the light-receiving end of an optical device, such as an optical fiber. The DBR-on-fiber-end is mounted with respect to the active region to complete the laser cavity and to provide automatic coupling of the output laser light into the fiber.

Abstract: Demounting workpieces attached to an adhesive surface of an adhesive film with a workpiece demounting apparatus having a base and a plurality of substantially parallel blades mounted to the base. Each of the blades has a substantially linear blade edge, each blade edge lying within a blade-edge plane that is substantially perpendicular to the blades. The spacing between the blades is small enough to support said workpieces and large enough to permit the adhesive film to pass between the blades after being cut by said blade edges during a workpiece demounting operation. The plurality of blade edges thus provides a substantially planar blade-edge surface, in the blade-edge plane, for cutting the adhesive film and for supporting the workpieces while the adhesive film is pulled free from said workpieces.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a laser for generating single-longitudinal mode laser light at a lasing wavelength. A semiconductor active region for amplifying, by stimulated emission, light in the laser cavity at the lasing wavelength is formed. A grating is formed adjacent to the active region, the grating having a grating period corresponding to a Bragg wavelength substantially equal to the lasing wavelength. An intermediate section of the grating is removed to result in first and second pluralities of gratings separated by a gratingless intermediate section. First and second grating sections are formed comprising the first and second pluralities of gratings, where the first and second grating sections each have a first effective index of refraction.

Abstract: A device is provided, the device comprising a first vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) of a monolithic vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array, the first vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) being tunable to a first plurality of wavelengths. The device also comprises a second vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) of the monolithic vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array, the second vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) being tunable to a second plurality of wavelengths, wherein at least one wavelength is in both the first plurality of wavelengths and the second plurality of wavelengths.