STTR Phase II: High Speed High Power Single Mode Photonic Crystal Lasers

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is to demonstrate a prototype of a disruptive semiconductor laser technology. Currently, the dominant semiconductor laser technologies are limited in concurrently achieving both higher output optical power and higher operation speed while maintaining high optical beam quality. Trade-offs and complicated optical lens systems are often needed which results in increased manufacturing cost and degraded reliability. The advances of the proposed technology, called photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL), can fill the gaps in the current dominant laser technologies, and can ensure secure semiconductors and microelectronic supply chains within US. It can have profound impact in data economy, by improving energy efficient high capacity data center link capabilities, by offering reliable, cost effective, and high performance systems for areas like autonomous driving/aerial vehicles, high performance optical satellite communications and remote sensing. It will accelerate technology development, address technical and market gaps, and foster entrepreneurship with important social impacts. The project will prepare diversified workforce in semiconductor chip manufacturing/packaging, nanotechnology, photonics, and space economy. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project will enable development and commercialization of high speed PCSELs with single mode high power output. PCSELs, a semiconductor laser revolution, offer combined attributes of conventional Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers and Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) with demonstrated high power single mode operations from large apertures. To address the cavity scaling challenges in high speed PCSELs with aperture sizes down to a few micrometers, a novel lateral cavity confinement configuration will be manufactured. Lateral confinement configuration can offer both strong optical confinement and compact lateral charge confinement for increased intrinsic modulation speed and reduced parasitic effects. The trade-offs between the modulation speed and optical power will also be investigated. Vertical cavity feedbacks will also be incorporated and optimized for photon lifetime management. The objective of this Phase II project is to develop and commercialize high-speed power single mode PCSELs, with prototypes ready for customer evaluations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.