Showing papers by "Jack L. Jewell published in 1993"

Polarized surface-emitting laser

Abstract: A vertical-cavity, surface-emitting semiconductor diode laser having a monolithic and planar surface and having lateral anisotropy in order to control the polarization of the emitted beam of light. The diode laser includes a body of a semiconductor material having an active region therein which is adapted to generate radiation and emit the radiation from a surface of the body, and a separate reflecting mirror at opposite sides of the active region with at least one of the mirrors being partially transparent to the generated light to allow the light generated in the active region to be emitted therethrough. The anisotropy may be provided by utilizing anisotropy in the atomic or molecular structure of the materials forming the laser, or by anisotropic patterning or deliberate offset alignment in processing of the laser or through anisotropic structures in the laser cavity to control the polarization of the emitted beam.

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with intra-cavity structures

Abstract: Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are disclosed having various intra-cavity structures to achieve low series resistance, high power efficiencies, and TEM mode radiation. In one embodiment of the invention, a VCSEL comprises a laser cavity disposed between an upper mirror (70) and a lower mirror (20). The laser cavity comprises upper spacer (50) and lower spacer (30) layers sandwiching an active region (40). A stratified electrode (60) for conducting electrical current to the active region (40) is disposed between the upper mirror (70) and the upper spacer (50). The stratified electrode (60) comprises a plurality of alternating high and low doped layers (62, 63, 64) for achieving low series resistance without increasing the optical absorption. The VCSEL further comprises a current aperture as a disk shaped region formed in the stratified electrode for suppressing higher mode radiation. The current aperture is formed by reducing or eliminating the conductivity of the annular surrounding region. In another embodiment, a metal contact layer having an optical aperture is formed within the upper mirror of the VCSEL. The optical aperture blocks the optical field in such a manner that it eliminates higher transverse mode lasing.

Integration of transistors with vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Abstract: 2128539 9314520 PCTABScor01 Optoelectronic integrated circuits (110) are disclosed comprising a vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) (118) and a transistor (116). The VCSEL comprises a laser cavity sandwiched between two distributed Bragg reflectors. The laser cavity comprises a pair of spacer layers (142, 144) surrounding one or more active, optically emitting quantum-well layers (3) having a bandgap in the visible range which serves as the active optically emitting material of the device. The thickness of the laser cavity is m.lambda./2neff where m is an integer, .lambda. is the free-space wavelength of the laser radiation and neff is the effective index of refraction of the cavity. Electrical pumping of the laser (118) is achieved by heavily doping the bottom mirror (145) and substrate to one conductivity-type and heavily doping the regions of the upper mirror (141) with the opposite conductivity type to form a diode structure and applying a suitable voltage to the diode structure. Embodiments are disclosed which integrate the VCSEL (118) with bipolar (126, 136) and FET (316) transistors as well as phototransistors (416).

Phased array semiconductor laser

Abstract: A phased array of semiconductor laser elements is provided in which the percentage of light which propagates into different diffractive orders is modified by an optical element. The diode laser includes a body of a semiconductor material having an active region therein which is adapted to generate radiation and emit the radiation form a surface of the body, and separate reflecting mirrors at opposite sides of the active region with at least one of the mirrors being partially transparent to the generated light to allow the light generated in the active region to be emitted therethrough. The optical element may take the form of a modification in the arrangement of the semiconductor laser elements, or an array of microprisms, or an external mirror to modify the percentage of light which propagates into different diffractive orders.

Multiple beam optical memory system

Abstract: An optical memory system employing multiple reading/writing optical beams for simultaneously reading from or writing to multiple tracks of optical media to allow reading/writing of closely spaced adjacent tracks. Various optical elements and other means are incorporated to enable the beams as a group to remain focused and properly tracking as the beams as a group scan across the tracks. Means are also provided for modulating the beams to reduce crosstalk. Various optical elements and combinations of optical elements are provided to compensate for beam and system imperfections.

Micro-optic and microelectronic integrated packaging of vertical-cavity lasers

Abstract: The applications for optoelectronic integrated circuits demand high performance optoelectronic devices or smart pixels. The stringent requirements on these smart pixels require that packaging technology be developed concurrently to the development of the optoelectronic components. We discuss the packaging requirements of smart pixels based on vertical-cavity microlasers. We present a novel microlens/macrolens combination which allows high power densities to be focused to a diffraction-limited spot using present VCSEL technology. Finally, we discuss the applications for microlaser-based spatial light source arrays.

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser array display system

Abstract: A visual display system is disclosed which utilizes one- and/or two-dimensional arrays of visible emitting vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) (200) in order to provide a desired visual display within an observer's field of view (220). Sweep and subscanning techniques are employed, individually or in combination, to create a full M x N image from 1 x L or K x L arrays of VCSELs, where M and N are multiple integers of K and L, respectively. Preferably, the VCSELs (200) are contained within a display housing which may be attached to the head of the user by an attachment mechanism or may alternatively be hand held or mounted to a surface. The circular symmetry and low divergence of the emitted VCSEL radiation as well as the availability of multiple wavelengths, particularly, red, blue, and green, allow high resolution monochrome or color images to be generated.

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser abray display system.

Abstract: A visual display system is disclosed which utilizes one- and/or two-dimensional arrays of visible emitting vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) (200) in order to provide a desired visual display within an observer's field of view (220). Sweep and subscanning techniques are employed, individually or in combination, to create a full M x N image from 1 x L or K x L arrays of VCSELs, where M and N are multiple integers of K and L, respectively. Preferably, the VCSELs (200) are contained within a display housing which may be attached to the head of the user by an attachment mechanism or may alternatively be hand held or mounted to a surface. The circular symmetry and low divergence of the emitted VCSEL radiation as well as the availability of multiple wavelengths, particularly, red, blue, and green, allow high resolution monochrome or color images to be generated.

Smart pixel optoelectronic interconnects: integrated microlasers/transistors

Abstract: The monolithic and hybrid integration of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers to phototransistors, heterojunction bipolar transistors, and field-effect transistors is presented. The integrated devices or `microlaser smart pixels' exhibit a high level of performance. For example, Boolean logic functions, high gain and speed are demonstrated. These `microlaser smart pixels' integrated with micro-optics have numerous applications.

Systeme d'affichage a groupement de lasers a cavite verticale et a emission de surface

Abstract: L'invention se rapporte a un systeme d'affichage utilisant des groupements uni- et/ou bidimensionnels de lasers a cavite verticale et a emission de surface visible (VCSELs)(200) afin de produire un affichage visuel requis dans le champ de vision (220) d'un observateur. Des techniques de balayage et de sous-exploration sont utilisees, individuellement ou en combinaison, pour creer une image M x N complete a partir de 1 x L ou K x L groupements de VCSELs, M et N etant des entiers multiples de K et de L respectivement. Le VCSELs (200) sont de preference contenus dans un boitier d'affichage qui peut etre fixe a la tete de l'utilisateur par un mecanisme de fixation ou qui peut, selon une variante, etre tenu a la main ou monte sur une surface. La symetrie circulaire et la faible divergence du rayonnement de VCSEL emis, ainsi que la disponibilite de longueurs d'ondes multiples, en particulier rouge, bleu et vert, permettent de produire des images monochromes ou couleurs de haute resolution.