Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays
We report the theory and experimental verification of a method to reduce beam divergence from coherently-coupled ring arrays of photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). The photonic crystal etched into the top distributed Bragg reflector defines the optically coupled array...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IEEE
2022-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Photonics Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9767675/ |
| _version_ | 1818467012489248768 |
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| author | Nusrat Jahan Katherine A. Lakomy Pawel Strzebonski B. J. Thompson K. D. Choquette |
| author_facet | Nusrat Jahan Katherine A. Lakomy Pawel Strzebonski B. J. Thompson K. D. Choquette |
| author_sort | Nusrat Jahan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report the theory and experimental verification of a method to reduce beam divergence from coherently-coupled ring arrays of photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). The photonic crystal etched into the top distributed Bragg reflector defines the optically coupled array elements, each of which has independent current injection and thus independent gain. Using a 2-dimensional complex waveguide model we simulate the supermodes of a 6-element ring array of VCSELs. The influence of the photonic crystal, free carrier loss, laser gain, and carrier-induced index suppression arising from the spatially defined gain regions are included in our analysis. Our simulations show the latter enables preferred anti-guided supermodes with reduced beam divergence. Optical characterization of the spectral and beam characteristics of 6-ring photonic crystal implanted VCSEL arrays shows that when the arrays are current-tuned to quasi-single mode operation, we find the beam divergence angle approaches 2° consistent with our simulations. This method of reduced beam divergence may have advantages for high-brightness applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:04:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b1c1b8be26c8429ca36f2ca2b2c921d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1943-0655 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:04:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Photonics Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-b1c1b8be26c8429ca36f2ca2b2c921d52022-12-22T02:30:03ZengIEEEIEEE Photonics Journal1943-06552022-01-011431610.1109/JPHOT.2022.31720309767675Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring ArraysNusrat Jahan0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2452-3813Katherine A. Lakomy1Pawel Strzebonski2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5628-6296B. J. Thompson3K. D. Choquette4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6399-5733Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USAWe report the theory and experimental verification of a method to reduce beam divergence from coherently-coupled ring arrays of photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). The photonic crystal etched into the top distributed Bragg reflector defines the optically coupled array elements, each of which has independent current injection and thus independent gain. Using a 2-dimensional complex waveguide model we simulate the supermodes of a 6-element ring array of VCSELs. The influence of the photonic crystal, free carrier loss, laser gain, and carrier-induced index suppression arising from the spatially defined gain regions are included in our analysis. Our simulations show the latter enables preferred anti-guided supermodes with reduced beam divergence. Optical characterization of the spectral and beam characteristics of 6-ring photonic crystal implanted VCSEL arrays shows that when the arrays are current-tuned to quasi-single mode operation, we find the beam divergence angle approaches 2° consistent with our simulations. This method of reduced beam divergence may have advantages for high-brightness applications.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9767675/Brightnesscoupled arraydivergenceVCSEL |
| spellingShingle | Nusrat Jahan Katherine A. Lakomy Pawel Strzebonski B. J. Thompson K. D. Choquette Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays IEEE Photonics Journal Brightness coupled array divergence VCSEL |
| title | Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays |
| title_full | Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays |
| title_fullStr | Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays |
| title_short | Low Divergence Coherently Coupled Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Ring Arrays |
| title_sort | low divergence coherently coupled vertical cavity surface emitting laser ring arrays |
| topic | Brightness coupled array divergence VCSEL |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9767675/ |
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