2523results about "Semiconductor laser arrangements" patented technology

A multi-wavelength laser device includes at least two of a blue laser diode, a red laser diode, and an infrared laser diode, which are arranged in the same direction on the same base. One laser light emission point is arranged behind another in increasing order of wavelengths of the laser diodes.

A method and apparatus for assembling microstructures onto a substrate through fluid transport. The microstructures being shaped blocks self-align into recessed regions located on a substrate such that the microstructure becomes integral with the substrate. The improved method includes a step of transferring the shaped blocks into a fluid to create a slurry. Such slurry is then dispensed evenly or circulated over the top surface of a substrate having recessed regions thereon. The microstructure via the shape and fluid tumbles onto the surface of the substrate, self-aligns, and engages into a recessed region.

Apparatus and methods for altering one or more spectral, spatial, or temporal characteristics of a light-emitting device are disclosed. Generally, such apparatus may include a volume Bragg grating (VBG) element that receives input light generated by a light-emitting device, conditions one or more characteristics of the input light, and causes the light-emitting device to generate light having the one or more characteristics of the conditioned light.

External Cavity Laser An external cavity laser comprising first and second feedback means with an optical gain medium (2) therebetween, one of the feedback means is provided by a grating (4) formed in a silicon waveguide and the other feedback means is provided by a reflective back facet (2B) of the optical gain medium (2). The output wavelength of the laser, at a given temperature, can thus be determined during its manufacture and the laser can be made by mass production techniques. The grating (4) may be thermally isolated to obviate the need for temperature control means (6) to control the temperature of the grating (4). An array of lasers may be provided on a single chip.

The present invention discloses a low-cost light source for optical transmission systems and optical networks based on wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technology. A light source in accordance with the present invention is implemented by externally injecting a narrow-band incoherent light into a Fabry-Perot laser diode (F-P LD). After injection of narrow-band incoherent light, the output of F-P LD becomes wavelength-selective rather than multi-mode and the output wavelength of F-P LD coincide with the peak wavelength of the injected incoherent light. Multi-channel WDM light sources according to the present invention can be implemented using a single broadband incoherent light source and plurality of F-P LDs. An optical transmission system for upstream signal transmission in an passive optical network using the light source according the present invention is also disclosed.

A coolerless photonic integrated circuit (PIC), such as a semiconductor electro-absorption modulator / laser (EML) or a coolerless optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC), may be operated over a wide temperature range at temperatures higher then room temperature without the need for ambient cooling or hermetic packaging. Since there is large scale integration of N optical transmission signal WDM channels on a TxPIC chip, a new DWDM system approach with novel sensing schemes and adaptive algorithms provides intelligent control of the PIC to optimize its performance and to allow optical transmitter and receiver modules in DWDM systems to operate uncooled. Moreover, the wavelength grid of the on-chip channel laser sources may thermally float within a WDM wavelength band where the individual emission wavelengths of the laser sources are not fixed to wavelength peaks along a standardized wavelength grid but rather may move about with changes in ambient temperature. However, control is maintained such that the channel spectral spacing between channels across multiple signal channels, whether such spacing is periodic or aperiodic, between adjacent laser sources in the thermally floating wavelength grid are maintained in a fixed relationship. Means are then provided at an optical receiver to discover and lock onto floating wavelength grid of transmitted WDM signals and thereafter demultiplex the transmitted WDM signals for OE conversion.

The present invention provides a continuously tunable external cavity laser (ECL) with a compact form factor and precise tuning to a selected center wavelength of a selected wavelength grid. The ECL may thus be utilized in telecom applications to generate the center wavelengths for any channel on the ITU or other optical grid. The ECL does not require a closed loop feedback. A novel tuning mechanism is disclosed which provides for electrical or mechanical tuning to a known position or electrical parameter, e.g., voltage, current or capacitance, with the required precision in the selected center wavelength arising as a result of a novel arrangement of a grid generator and a channel selector. The grid generator exhibits first pass bands which correspond to the spacing between individual channels of the selected wavelength grid and a finesse which suppresses side band modes of the laser. The channel selector exhibits second pass bands that are wider than the first pass bands. In an embodiment of the invention the second pass bands have a periodicity substantially corresponding with the separation between the shortest wavelength channel and the longest wavelength channel of the selected wavelength grid and a finesse which suppresses channels adjacent to the selected channel. The broad second pass bands of the channel selector reduce the sensitivity of the ECL to tuning variations about the selected channel, thus avoiding the requirement of a closed loop feedback system to control the channel selector.

The present invention provides a continuously-tunable external cavity laser (ECL) with a compact form factor and precise tuning. A novel interference filter which may be used to tune the ECL provides an absence of mode-hopping and reduced feedback from both spurious interference and reflections in the external cavity. A novel tuning mechanism is disclosed which provides for mechanical FM tuning of a wide range ECL tuning elements such as: an interference filter, a diffraction element, and a retroreflector. A novel feedback circuit is disclosed which provides closed loop feedback for selecting output wavelength in a laser.

In a multi-beam semiconductor laser including nitride III–V compound semiconductor layers stacked on one surface of a substrate of sapphire or other material to form laser structures, and including a plurality of anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodes formed on the nitride III–V compound semiconductor layers, one of the anode electrodes is formed to bridge over one of the cathode electrodes via an insulating film, and another anode electrode is formed to bridge over another of the cathode electrodes via an insulating film.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing a multi-wavelength semiconductor laser device. The method comprises the steps of: forming first and second nitride epitaxial layers in parallel on a substrate for growth of a nitride single crystal; separating the first and second nitride epitaxial layers from the substrate; attaching the separated first and second nitride epitaxial layers to a first conductivity-type substrate; selectively removing the first and second nitride semiconductor epitaxial layers to expose a portion of the first conductivity-type substrate and to form first and second semiconductor laser structures, respectively; and forming a third semiconductor laser structure on the exposed portion of the first conductivity-type substrate.

A novel class of optoelectronic devices incorporate an interference filter. The filter includes at least two optical cavities. Each of the cavities localizes al least one optical mode. The optical modes localized at two cavities are at resonance only at one or at a few discrete selective wavelengths. At resonance, the optical eigenmodes contain one mode having a zero intensity at a node position between the two cavities, where this position shifts as a function of the wavelength. A non-transparent element, which is preferably an absorbing element, a scatterer, or a reflector, is placed between two cavities. At a discrete selective wavelength, when the node of the optical mode matches with the non-transparent element, the filter is transparent for light. At other wavelengths, the filter is not transparent for light. This allows for the construction of various optoelectronic devices showing a strongly wavelength-selective operation.

Laser diodes (120) emit laser beams along a vertical YZ plane at different distances from the YZ plane. The beams are collimated in their fast and slow axes, and are redirected by turning mirrors (162) to form a beam stack (130C) traveling along the XZ plane. The beam stack is turned by about 90°, then converged by a focusing lens (174) into an optical fiber (180). A compact assembly is thus provided. Each laser diode (120.i), its collimating optics (154.i, 158.i, i=1, 2, . . . ) and its turning mirror (162.i) are rigidly attached to a flat, heat-spreading surface (144.i) and thus remain aligned with each other in thermal cycling.

Systems, devices, and methods for focusing laser projectors are described. A laser projector includes N≧1 laser diodes, each of which emits laser light having a divergence. Each laser diode is paired with a respective primary or collimation lens to at least reduce a divergence of the laser light that the laser diode produces. Downstream from the primary lens(es) in the optical path(s) of the laser light, a single dedicated secondary or convergence lens converges the laser light to a focus. By initiating the convergence of the laser light at the secondary or convergence lens as opposed to at the primary or collimation lens(es), numerous benefits that are particularly advantageous in laser projection-based wearable heads-up displays are realized.

There is provided an optical system for reducing faint interference observed when laser annealing is performed to a semiconductor film. The faint interference conventionally observed can be reduced by irradiating the semiconductor film with a laser beam by the use of an optical system using a mirror of the present invention. The optical system for transforming the shape of the laser beam on an irradiation surface into a linear or rectangular shape is used. The optical system may include an optical system serving to convert the laser beam into a parallel light with respect to a traveling direction of the laser beam. When the laser beam having passed through the optical system is irradiated to the semiconductor film through the mirror of the present invention, the conventionally observed faint interference can be reduced. Besides, the optical system which has been difficult to adjust can be simplified.

A structured light source comprising VCSEL arrays is configured in many different ways to project a structured illumination pattern into a region for 3 dimensional imaging and gesture recognition applications. One aspect of the invention describes methods to construct densely and ultra-densely packed VCSEL arrays with to produce high resolution structured illumination pattern. VCSEL arrays configured in many different regular and non-regular arrays together with techniques for producing addressable structured light source are extremely suited for generating structured illumination patterns in a programmed manner to combine steady state and time-dependent detection and imaging for better accuracy. Structured illumination patterns can be generated in customized shapes by incorporating differently shaped current confining apertures in VCSEL devices. Surface mounting capability of densely and ultra-densely packed VCSEL arrays are compatible for constructing compact on-board 3-D imaging and gesture recognition systems.

A silicon-on-insulator wafer is provided. The silicon-on-insulator wafer includes a silicon substrate having optical vias formed therein. In addition, an optically transparent oxide layer is disposed on the silicon substrate and the optically transparent oxide layer is in contact with the optical vias. Then, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor layer is formed over the optically transparent oxide layer.

A volume Bragg laser including a resonator comprising photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) volume diffractive elements that can be used in a laser emitting window of transparency of PTR glass to provide control of the lasers spectral and angular parameters, and methods, devices, apparatus and systems related thereto. The high efficiency volume Bragg gratings recorded in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass preferably has an absolute diffraction efficiency exceeding approximately 95% in transmitting and reflecting modes is used for selection of a transverse and longitudinal mode for thermal, optical and mechanical stabilization of the volume Bragg lasers and coherent coupling of different lasers. Robustness, compactness, thermal and laser stability along with the ability to place several elements in the same space allows the use of sophisticated optical system according to the invention in fields of military lasers, optical communications, data storage and processing, and the like.

A compact signal source including: a semiconductor-based, pulsed optical energy source for providing a series of pulses at a given frequency; a selector being optical fiber coupled to the pulsed optical energy source and for down-selecting the pulses to a lower frequency; a stretcher being optical fiber coupled to the selector and for temporally stretching the selected pulses; at least one semiconductor-based optical amplifier being optical fiber coupled to the stretcher and for amplifying the selected pulses; a compressor being optical fiber coupled to the at least one semiconductor-based amplifier and for temporally compressing the amplified, stretched, selected pulses; and, a portable housing containing the pulsed optical energy source, stretcher, at least one semiconductor-based optical amplifier and compressor.

Methods of and systems for illuminating objects using planar laser illumination beams having substantially-planar spatial distribution characteristics that extend through the field of view (FOV) of image formation and detection modules employed in such systems. Each planar laser illumination beam is produced from a planar laser illumination beam array (PLIA) comprising an plurality of planar laser illumination modules (PLIMs). Each PLIM comprises a visible laser diode (VLD, a focusing lens, and a cylindrical optical element arranged therewith. The individual planar laser illumination beam components produced from each PLIM are optically combined to produce a composite substantially planar laser illumination beam having substantially uniform power density characteristics over the entire spatial extend thereof and thus the working range of the system. Preferably, each planar laser illumination beam component is focused so that the minimum beam width thereof occurs at a point or plane which is the farthest or maximum object distance at which the system is designed to acquire images, thereby compensating for decreases in the power density of the incident planar laser illumination beam due to the fact that the width of the planar laser illumination beam increases in length for increasing object distances away from the imaging optics. Advanced high-resolution wavefront control methods and devices are disclosed for use with the PLIIM-based systems in order to reduce the power of speckle-noise patterns observed at the image detections thereof. By virtue of the present invention, it is now possible to use both VLDs and high-speed CCD-type image detectors in conveyor, hand-held and hold-under type imaging applications alike, enjoying the advantages and benefits that each such technology has to offer, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks hitherto associated therewith.

Methods for bonding semiconductor wafers requiring the transfer of electrical and optical signals between the bonded wafers and across the bonding interface. The methods incorporate the formation of both electrical and optical interconnect vias within the wafer bonding interface to transfer electrical and optical signals between the bonded wafers. The electrical vias are formed across the bonding surface using multiplicity of metal posts that are interfused across the bonding surface. The optical vias are formed across the bonding surface using multiplicity of optical waveguides each comprised of a dielectric material that interfuses across the bonding interface and having an index of refraction that is higher than the index of refraction of the dielectric intermediary bonding layer between the bonded wafers. The electrical and optical vias are interspersed across the bonding surface between the bonded wafers to enable uniform transfer of both electrical and optical signals between the bonded wafers.

An optical phase lock loop (OPLL) system is disclosed that includes a master external cavity laser (ECL), and a substantially identical slave ECL. The master and slave ECLs are fabricated using a planar semiconductor device with waveguide-integrated planar Bragg gratings (PBG). Both the master and slave ECLs have a narrow linewidth and a low frequency-noise. Each of the ECLs has their own controller-modulator circuits for thermal tuning or electrical tuning via direct modulation. A laser-select-logic (LSL) module receives and processes a filtered phase error signal from a loop filter coupled to an electronic PLL device, and directs the processed phase error signal to one or both of the master and slave controller-modulators according to a logical determination of a required mode of operation of the OPLL system in order to achieve a stable and identical phase performance of the master and the slave ECLs. The required mode of operation is chosen from a locking mode, a prediction mode, a tracking mode, and a searching mode.

A laser apparatus includes: a plurality of laser diodes respectively having light-emission points and being fixed to a block so that the light-emission points are aligned along a direction; and a collimator-lens array integrally formed to contain a plurality of collimator lenses which are arranged along a direction and respectively collimate laser beams emitted from the plurality of laser diodes. The block has a lens-setting surface which is flat, perpendicular to optical axes of the plurality of laser diodes, and located on the forward side of the plurality of laser diodes at a predetermined distance from the light-emission points, and the collimator-lens array is fixed to the block so that an end surface of the collimator-lens array is in contact with the lens-setting surface.

The present solution relates to a 2D / 3D data projector, which comprises: A data projector, the data projector comprising: at least one micro display having an image to be projected, at least one source unit comprising at least one light source chip and at least one beam forming component, each beam forming component comprising at least one diffractive element, and each source unit being designed to preserve etendue as far as possible, to minimize photon loss, to provide a desired projection shape and a uniform illumination onto the micro display, and a focusing optical unit for projecting the image of the micro display on a target.

A diode laser arrangement is disclosed wherein a radiation source is designed which can be scaled with respect to power such that different types of cooling can be applied and the configuration of the radiation field is suitable for adapting to different tasks in a simple manner. For this purpose, every diode laser is connected to a thermal contact surface of a separate, heat-spreading carrier which is fastened to a cooling surface of a common cooling element so as to be electrically insulated. The carriers are arranged adjacently in such a way that the line-shaped emission regions of the diode lasers are adjacent in series and the p-n junction planes extend parallel to the thermal contact surfaces. The diode laser arrangement is particularly suitable as a pump light source.

An asymmetric light emitting structure for producing polarized light that includes a light emitting layer having a plurality of light emitting species, wherein orientation of the light emitting species is uncontrolled. Receipt of the emitted light from the light emitting layer is accomplished via an asymmetric geometric element that also produces polarized light. Additionally, the asymmetric light emitting structure includes a means for excitation of the light emitting layer.

An organic vertical cavity laser light producing device (10) comprises a substrate (20). A plurality of laser emitters (200) emits laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate. Each laser emitter within the plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and the first axis. Each laser emitter comprises a first mirror provided on a top surface of the substrate (20) and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. An organic active region (40) produces laser light (350). A second mirror is provided above the organic active region and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. A pumping means excites the plurality of laser emitters.

An integrated semiconductor optical-emitting device includes a surface-emission laser diode and an EA-type semiconductor optical modulator integrated commonly on a GaAs substrate in a direction perpendicular to the GaAs substrate.

A method for laser diode bar assembly. A method for assembling a modular stacked diode array is disclosed, whereby a diode bar is bonded between a pair of conductive spacers, as by soldering, to create a diode submodule. Each submodule, prior to being affixed to a substrate, may be individually pre-tested. Any number of diode bar submodules then may be affixed to a substrate to construct a diode bar array. A stacked array embodiment assembled according to the method provides for efficient cooling of the diode bars and electrical connection between diode bars while maximizing alignment of the diode bars. The spacers are connected to a conductive surface on a heat spreader. In the stacked array, one or more diode bars are alternated in series with two or more conductive spacers, with a series circuit provided from diode bar to diode bar. The spacers hold the diodes spaced apart from insulating grooves in the conductive layer on the substrate. Alternatively, thermally conductive separator fins extend from the heat spreader substrate to contact the diode bars situated between the spacers to promote rapid heat transfer from the diodes while maintaining the diode bars electrically isolated from tie conductive layer on the substrate.