PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | April 20, 1998
Proc. SPIE. 3286, Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers II
KEYWORDS: Oxides, Photodetectors, Mirrors, Fabry–Perot interferometers, Quantum wells, Modulation, Sensors, Reflectivity, Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, Absorption
The high reflectivity of VCSEL mirrors renders the device very sensitive to small changes int he reflectivity or absorption within the laser cavity. Therefore, the integration of a quantum-well absorber within the VCSEL enables compact, monolithic devices with multiple functions. As a result, the VCSEL exhibits a variety of useful characteristics under different configurations. In this work, we demonstrate the use of a quantum-well absorber within one of the VCSEL mirror stacks. With strategic design and simple biasing circuitry, we have shown experimentally (1) a VCSEL with an integrated quantum-well photodetector, (2) a self-pulsating VCSEL with a controllable quantum-well saturable absorber, and (3) a novel technique for VCSEL modulation where the quantum-well absorption is modulated, thereby modulating the laser light output. The theory, design criteria, experimental results, and potential applications for these devices are discussed.
