Agile, Widely Tunable Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) offer unique optical and electrical characteristics including single mode operation, low power requirements, low beam divergence, circular beam shape and 2D configurability. As in any semiconductor laser these lasers lack temporal and spatial uniformity in wavelength for most present application. With the fast growing interest and development of applications utilizing VCSELs however it is becoming clear that there is a need for precise control of the laser wavelenth, either for "agile" wavelength tuning or fixed-wavelength applications. CoreTek, Inc. proposes a monolithic technology in which tuning is achieved through on-chip integration of an electro-optic layer coupled with a novel mirror design. Our integrated optic approach to tunable VCSELs allow electronic single-mode tuning up to 100nm throughout the wavelengths of GaAlAs/InGaAs (0.70-1.1um) and InGaAsP (1.0u-1.5um) lasers while yielding a narrow linewidth of >1A. As such, this method can be used not only to achieve "agile" wavelength tuning, but also for eliminating the wavelength drift problem by steady-state tuning. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of the concept by developing an electro-optic thin film cavity and to demonstrate the electronic tuning. Phase II will be devoted to the development of optimal tunable VECSELs devices in terms of reliability, low cost fabrication and initial commercialization efforts. Tunable diode lasers will enable high bandwidth telecommunication industry, high density optical storage technologies, remote sensing for the military and environmental applications, toxic waste monitoring, mining applications. The present market for the proposed technology including applications is a multi-billion dollars world-wide.