Surface Emitting Laser With Defined Light-Emitting Region
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Solution Overview
Problem
MEMS-VCSELs with external excitation face challenges in defining the light-emitting region, leading to variations and difficulties in positioning it relative to a fiber, affecting coupling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A surface emitting laser with a defined light-emitting region, achieved by forming a gap between the active layer and one of the reflecting mirrors and using a refractive index defining structure to confine light emission, allowing for precise control of the oscillation wavelength and improved coupling efficiency with fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a MEMS-VCSEL uses external excitation light without a defining structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the light-emitting region cannot be defined, causing variations and positioning difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the active layer into a light-emitting region and a non-light-emitting region by forming a groove that physically segments the active layer structure. This segmentation defines the light-emitting region boundaries, enabling precise positioning relative to the fiber while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a groove only in the region where light emission needs to be confined. The groove structure modifies the local properties of the active layer, providing light confinement and defining the light-emitting region without affecting the entire device structure, thus balancing complexity and positioning precision.
2Ease of manufacture
If no defining structure is used in the active layer, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the coupling efficiency with fiber deteriorates due to positioning variations
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure is formed in advance during the manufacturing process, preliminarily defining the light-emitting region position before fiber coupling. This preliminary action ensures that the light-emitting region is pre-positioned and confined, making subsequent fiber coupling more reliable and efficient without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the active layer is uniformly excited without regional definition, then the energy distribution is uniform, but the light emission becomes dispersed, reducing coupling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure creates local optical confinement in the light-emitting region, concentrating the light emission spatially. This allows the active layer to be uniformly excited while the groove confines the resulting light emission to a specific region, improving coupling efficiency without requiring non-uniform energy distribution during excitation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a surface emitting laser with a defined light-emitting region, enhancing coupling efficiency and stability, enabling efficient emission and reception of laser beams for applications like optical coherence tomography.
Implementation Method 1
a defining structure that defines a light-emitting region of the active layer is arranged in at least one of a region between the pair of reflecting mirrors and a region in at least one of the pair of reflecting mirrors
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a surface emitting laser that is to be excited by an external light source and in which a light-emitting position is defined.A surface emitting laser includes a pair of reflecting mirrors (11, 15) and an active layer (13) that is arranged between the pair of reflecting mirrors (11, 15) and that is to be excited by light that is radiated from an external light source. A gap is formed between the active layer and one of the pair of reflecting mirrors (15), the oscillation wavelength of the surface emitting laser is changed, and a defining structure (20) that defines a light-emitting region of the active layer (13) is arranged in at least one of a region between the pair of reflecting mirrors (11, 15) and a region in at least one of the pair of reflecting mirrors (11, 15).