Abstract: Arrays of vertical extended cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) are disclosed. The functionality of two or more conventional optical components are combined into an optical unit to reduce the number of components that must be aligned during packaging. A dichroic beamsplitter selectively couples frequency doubled light out of the cavity. In one implementation the dichroic beamsplitter includes at least one prism.

Abstract: A light engine includes a multi-color laser source having a set of semiconductor lasers. A controller synchronizes the operation of the laser source to operate in a color sequential order with a spatial modulator.

Abstract: An array of surface emitting laser diodes has a series electrical connection of laser diodes. Junction isolation is used to isolate laser diodes in the array.

Abstract: In an apparatus, system, and method for generating a projected display, a light source generates red, green, and blue light using arrays of extended cavity surface emitting semiconductor lasers. The beams of individual lasers overlap and have a distribution of optical attributes selected to reduce speckle on a display surface.

Abstract: Arrays of vertical extended cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) are disclosed. The functionality of two or more conventional optical components are combined into an optical unit to reduce the number of components that must be aligned during packaging. A dichroic beamsplitter selectively couples frequency doubled light out of the cavity. In one implementation the dichroic beamsplitter includes at least one prism.

Abstract: Arrays of vertical extended cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) are disclosed. The functionality of two or more conventional optical components are combined into an optical unit to reduce the number of components that must be aligned during packaging.

Abstract: Arrays of surface emitting lasers are disclosed. A top contact plate is patterned with apertures and used to form an electrical connection to a top surface of a laser die. The top contact plate reduces electrical resistance and improves current uniformity compared with conventional contacts formed by plating.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is described. In this method, a starting substrate of sufficient thickness is selected that has the required defect density levels, which may result in an undesirable doping level. Then a semiconductor layer having a desired doping level is formed on the starting substrate. The resulting semiconductor layer has the required defect density and doping levels for the final product application. After active components, electrical conductors, and any other needed structures are formed on the semiconductor layer, the starting substrate is removed leaving a desired thickness of the semiconductor layer. In a VECSEL application, the active components can be a gain cavity, where the semiconductor layer has the necessary defect density and doping levels to maximize wall plug efficiency (WPE). In one embodiment, the doping of the semiconductor layer is not uniform. For example, a majority of the layer is doped at a low level and the remainder is doped at a much higher level.

Abstract: A light engine includes a multi-color laser source having a set of semiconductor lasers. A controller synchronizes the operation of the laser source to operate in a color sequential order with a spatial modulator.

Abstract: An array of surface emitting laser diodes has a series electrical connection of laser diodes. Junction isolation is used to isolate laser diodes in the array.

Abstract: An active gain region sandwiched between a 100% reflective bottom Bragg mirror and an intermediate partially reflecting Bragg mirror is formed on a lower surface of a supporting substrate, to thereby provide the first (“active”) resonator cavity of a high power coupled cavity surface emitting laser device. The reflectivity of the intermediate mirror is kept low enough so that laser oscillation within the active gain region will not occur. The substrate is entirely outside the active cavity but is contained within a second (“passive”) resonator cavity defined by the intermediate mirror and a partially reflecting output mirror, where it is subjected to only a fraction of the light intensity that is circulating in the gain region.

Abstract: A mode-locked laser with intracavity frequency conversion is disclosed. In one embodiment the conversion frequency is improved by reducing the temporal, spatial, or polarization overlap between pulses at the fundamental frequency and pulses at a frequency-shifted frequency.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for generating a projected display is disclosed. A light source generates red, green, and blue light using arrays of extended cavity surface emitting semiconductor lasers. The beams of individual lasers overlap and have a distribution of optical attributes selected to reduce speckle on a display surface.

Abstract: An active gain region sandwiched between a 100% reflective bottom Bragg mirror and an intermediate partially reflecting Bragg mirror is formed on a lower surface of a supporting substrate, to thereby provide the first (“active”) resonator cavity of a high power coupled cavity surface emitting laser device. The bottom mirror is preferably in direct thermal contact with an external heat sink for maximum heat removal effectiveness. The reflectivity of the intermediate mirror is kept low enough so that laser oscillation within the active gain region will not occur. The substrate is entirely outside the active cavity but is contained within a second (“passive”) resonator cavity defined by the intermediate mirror and a partially reflecting output mirror, where it is subjected to only a fraction of the light intensity that is circulating in the gain region.

Abstract: An active gain region sandwiched between a 100% reflective bottom Bragg mirror and an intermediate partially reflecting Bragg mirror is formed on a lower surface of a supporting substrate, to thereby provide the first (“active”) resonator cavity of a high power coupled cavity surface emitting laser device. The bottom mirror is preferably in direct thermal contact with an external heat sink for maximum heat removal effectiveness. The reflectivity of the intermediate mirror is kept low enough so that laser oscillation within the active gain region will not occur. The substrate is entirely outside the active cavity but is contained within a second (“passive”) resonator cavity defined by the intermediate mirror and a partially reflecting output mirror, where it is subjected to only a fraction of the light intensity that is circulating in the gain region.

Abstract: An active gain region sandwiched between a 100% reflective bottom. Bragg mirror and an intermediate partially reflecting Bragg mirror is formed on a lower surface of a supporting substrate, to thereby provide the first (“active”) resonator cavity of a high power coupled cavity surface emitting laser device. The bottom mirror is preferably in direct thermal contact with an external heat sink for maximum heat removal effectiveness. The reflectivity of the intermediate mirror is kept low enough so that laser oscillation within the active gain region will not occur. The substrate is entirely outside the first active resonator cavity to a level sufficient to cause lasing. The substrate is entirely outside the active cavity but is contained within a second (“passive”) resonator cavity defined by the intermediate mirror and a partially reflecting output mirror, where it is subjected to only a fraction of the light intensity that is circulating in the gain region.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for generating high power laser radiation, the geometry of the resonant laser cavity defines a fundamental spatial or transverse cavity mode. A gain medium is disposed within the resonant cavity and an energy source energizes the gain medium within a first volume. This causes spontaneous and stimulated energy emission to propagate in the gain medium in a direction transverse to the fundamental cavity mode. The transverse emission in turn optically pumps a second volume of the gain medium about the first volume. When the intensity of the transverse emission is sufficiently high, inversion and gain are produced in the second volume. By optimizing the geometry of the cavity such that the fundamental cavity mode is coupled to both the first and the second volumes encompassing the first pumped volume, the transversely-directed energy of the first volume which would otherwise be wasted is instead captured by the fundamental beam, improving the overall power efficiently of the laser.

Abstract: A wavelength selectable, controlled chirp, semiconductor laser system is provided. By coupling a passive cavity, including an external output mirror with a selected reflectivity, to the active cavity of a laser device, chirp is reduced by approximately the ratio of the length of the active cavity to the length of the passive cavity. In such a device, changing the length of the passive cavity by manipulating the position of the output mirror allows for selecting an output wavelength of the laser device.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for generating high power laser radiation, the geometry of the resonant laser cavity defines a fundamental spatial or transverse cavity mode. A gain medium is disposed within the resonant cavity and an energy source energizes the gain medium within a first volume. This causes spontaneous and stimulated energy emission to propagate in the gain medium in a direction transverse to the fundamental cavity mode. The transverse emission in turn optically pumps a second volume of the gain medium about the first volume. When the intensity of the transverse emission is sufficiently high, inversion and gain are produced in the second volume. By optimizing the geometry of the cavity such that the fundamental cavity mode is coupled to both the first and the second volumes encompassing the first pumped volume, the transversely-directed energy of the first volume which would otherwise be wasted is instead captured by the fundamental beam, improving the overall power efficiently of the laser.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for generating high power laser radiation, the geometry of the resonant laser cavity defines a fundamental spatial or transverse cavity mode. A gain medium is disposed within the resonant cavity and an energy source energizes the gain medium within a first volume. This causes spontaneous and stimulated energy emission to propagate in the gain medium in a direction transverse to the fundamental cavity mode. The transverse emission in turn optically pumps a second volume of the gain medium about the first volume. When the intensity of the emission is sufficiently high, inversion and gain are produced in the second volume. By optimizing the geometry of the cavity such that the fundamental cavity mode is coupled to both the first and the second volumes encompassing the first pumped volume, the transversely-directed energy of the first volume which would otherwise be wasted is instead captured by the fundamental beam, improving the overall power efficiently of the laser.