A vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) was invented 30 years ago. A lot of unique features can be expected, such as low-power consumption, wafer-level testing, small packaging capability, and so on. The market of VCSELs has been growing up rapidly in recent years, and they are now key devices in local area networks using multimode optical fibers. Also, long wavelength VCSELs are currently attracting much interest for use in single-mode fiber metropolitan area and wide area network applications. In addition, a VCSEL-based disruptive technology enables various consumer applications such as a laser mouse and laser printers. In this paper, the recent advance of VCSEL photonics will be reviewed, which include the wavelength extension of single-mode VCSELs and their wavelength integration/control. Also, this paper explores the potential and challenges for new functions of VCSELs toward optical signal processing

https://cnst.nctu.edu.tw/mbe08/abstract/6-13.30-14.00-koyama.pdf

Recent Advances of VCSEL Photonics

This paper demonstrates a flexible optical waveguide film with integrated optoelectronic devices (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and p-i-n photodiode arrays) for fully embedded board-level optical interconnects. The optical waveguide circuit with 45/spl deg/ micromirror couplers was fabricated on a thin flexible polymeric substrate by soft molding. The 45/spl deg/ couplers were fabricated by cutting the waveguide with a microtome blade. The waveguide core material was SU-8 photoresist, and the cladding was cycloolefin copolymer. A thin VCSEL and p-i-n photodiode array were directly integrated on the waveguide film. Measured propagation loss of a waveguide was 0.6 dB/cm at 850 nm.

Flexible optical waveguide film fabrications and optoelectronic devices integration for fully embedded board-level optical interconnects

A new vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) structure based on a subwavelength grating mirror and a thin oxide gap is suggested and numerically investigated. The structure is shown to exhibit similar threshold gain, suppression of higher order transverse modes, and polarization stability as a grating-mirror VCSEL reported in the literature based on a thick air gap. The thin oxide gap structure has a number of advantages including easier fabrication, better mechanical stability, and very strong single-mode properties.

/pdf/subwavelength-grating-mirror-vcsel-with-a-thin-oxide-gap-1gok5xqvgn.pdf

Subwavelength Grating-Mirror VCSEL With a Thin Oxide Gap

Record-long emission wavelengths up to 1.3 /spl mu/m have recently been demonstrated from highly strained InGaAs-GaAs double-quantum-well (DQW) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The operation of InGaAs VCSELs at such long wavelengths has relied on a large detuning between the spectral positions of QW gain maximum and cavity resonance. This detuning also affects the high-temperature performance and temperature sensitivity of such devices. In this paper, we present and evaluate the threshold current-temperature characteristic of such lasers in relation to the gain-cavity detuning at room temperature (RT). For a near-zero gain peak offset from the emission wavelength at RT, the minimum threshold current is found at the temperature where the gain peak wavelength and the cavity resonance are approximately aligned. This is well in line with a common design rule for GaAs-based VCSELs. However, we show that this design rule fails in the case of larger gain-cavity misalignment at RT. Instead, a minimum threshold current is obtained considerably below the temperature of zero gain offset. We propose a conceptual model that relates the gain-cavity detuning at RT to the temperature sensitivity of the active region performance, which qualitatively describes the threshold current-temperature characteristic typical of VCSELs. The results demonstrate the importance of improving the temperature characteristic of the active region in order to reduce the high temperature sensitivity of devices with large detuning.

Temperature sensitivity of the threshold current of long-wavelength InGaAs-GaAs VCSELs with large gain-cavity detuning

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of GaAs-based laser diodes, using self-organized InGaAs quantum dots (QDs), emitting at >1.24 μm is demonstrated. The environment-friendly alternative precursor tertiarybutylarsine is used as a substitute for arsenic hydride. The active region contains ten closely stacked InGaAs QD layers embedded in a GaAs matrix. Lasing emission at such long wavelengths was achieved by overgrowing the In0.65Ga0.35As QDs with a thin In0.2Ga0.8As film. The application of an in situ annealing step leading to the evaporation of plastically relaxed defect clusters is shown to be decisive for the laser performance. A transparency current density of 7.2 A/cm2 per QD layer and an internal quantum efficiency of 75% were achieved at room temperature.

1.24 μm InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot laser grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using tertiarybutylarsine

A report is presented on high-performance InGaAs/GaAs double quantum well vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with record long emission wavelengths up to 1300 nm. Due to a large gain-c ...

High-performance 1.3-μm InGaAs vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

We describe the development of long-wavelength InGaAs/GaAs vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). Using highly strained double-quantum wells (DQWs) in combination with negative gain-cavity detuning we have been able to realise such VCSELs with emission wavelength up to 1300 nm. High-performance device characteristics include mW-range output power, mA-range threshold currents, 10 Gbit/s data transmission and very good temperature stability with continuous-wave operation up to at least 140°C. Singlemode emission is realised using an integrated mode filter consisting of a patterned silicon layer on the out-coupling mirror surface, yielding output power and threshold currents for 1270-nm devices of 1.2 - 0.5 mW and 2.3 - 0.6 mA, respectively, over a temperature interval of 10 - 140°C. Multimode devices have been found to deliver more than 2 mW at 1290 nm. Preliminary lifetime measurements do not reveal any intrinsic reliability problems related to the highly strained quantum wells.

Fabrication and performance of 1.3-μm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with InGaAs quantum well active regions grown on GaAs substrates

The fabrication and performance of highly strained double-quantum well InGaAs/GaAs vertical-cavity lasers with record-long emission wavelength of 1260 nm at room temperature is reported. Depending on device diameter, the minimum threshold current is in the low mA-regime while the maximum output power exceeds 1 mW. The devices work continuous-wave over a wide temperature range of at least 10-120/spl deg/C.

1260 nm InGaAs vertical-cavity lasers

We report on the performance and analysis of 1.3μm range InGaAs∕GaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with an integrated mode filter consisting of a patterned silicon layer on the top distributer Bragg reflector. In this way, 1mW of single mode power is obtained from a device with a wavelength of 1265nm and a threshold current of 2.6mA at room temperature. An effective index model is used to extract the internal and external losses of the VCSEL structure and to predict the modal losses with and without mode filter, thereby providing a useful design tool for single mode VCSELs.

1.3 μm ingaas vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with mode filter for single mode operation

1.3 mum oxide confined GaInNAs VCSELs designed using the same design philosophy used for standard 850 nm VCSELs is presented. The VCSELs have doped mirrors, with graded and highly doped interfaces, ...

E. Odling

Papers

High-performance 1.3-μm InGaAs vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Fabrication and performance of 1.3-μm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with InGaAs quantum well active regions grown on GaAs substrates

1260 nm InGaAs vertical-cavity lasers

1.3 μm ingaas vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with mode filter for single mode operation

MOVPE-grown GaInNAs VCSELs at 1.3 [micro sign]m with conventional mirror design approach