Philipp Gerlach

Volume production of polarization controlled single-mode VCSELs

Over the past 3 years laser based tracking systems for optical PC mice have outnumbered the traditional VCSEL market datacom by far. Whereas VCSEL for datacom in the 850 nm regime emit in multipe transverse modes, all laser based tracking systems demand for single-mode operation which require advanced manufacturing technology. Next generation tracking systems even require single-polarization characteristics in order to avoid unwanted movement of the pointer due to polarization flips. High volume manufacturing and optimized production methods are crucial for achieving the addressed technical and commercial targets of this consumer market. The resulting ideal laser source which emits single-mode and single-polarization at low cost is also a promising platform for further applications like tuneable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) or miniature atomic clocks when adapted to the according wavelengths.

Wide temperature operation of 40-Gb/s 1550-nm electroabsorption modulated lasers

Electroabsorption modulated lasers (EMLs) exploiting the quantum confined Stark effect need thermoelectric coolers to achieve stable output power levels and dynamic extinction ratios. Temperature-independent operation is reported between 20/spl deg/C and 70/spl deg/C for InGaAlAs-InP-based monolithically integrated 1550-nm EMLs exploiting a shared active area at 40 Gb/s by actively controlling the electroabsorption modulator bias voltage. Dynamic extinction ratios of at least 8 dB and fiber-coupled mean modulated optical power of at least 0.85 mW are obtained over the mentioned temperature range.

25 Gbps and beyond: VCSEL development at Philips

In comparison to widely used InGaAs Quantum Wells (QW) in high speed VCSELs operating at 25 Gbps and beyond, we present an investigation on the use of GaAs QWs, which have proven their ability to serve reliably in 10 Gbps and 14 Gbps VCSEL products and allow for an evolutionary extension of data rates based on mature technology. As data centers continuously increase in size, the demand for longer reach optical links within these data centers is addressed by the proposal of using small spectral width single-mode VCSELs that offer the potential of significantly reduced chromatic dispersion along optical fibers of several 100 m length. Performance and modeling parameters of single-mode VCSELs are being compared to those of typical multi-mode VCSELs built from identical epitaxy and process technology.

Integrated photodiodes complement the VCSEL platform

Many VCSEL based applications require optical feedback of the emitted light. E.g. light output monitor functions in transceivers are used to compensate for thermally induced power variation, power degradation, or even breakdown of pixels if logic for redundancy is available. In this case integrated photodiodes offer less complex assembly compared to widely used hybrid solutions, e.g. known in LC-TOSA assemblies. Especially for chip-on-board (COB) assembly and array configurations, integrated monitor diodes offer a simple and compact power monitoring possibility. For 850 nm VCSELs the integrated photodiodes can be placed between substrate and bottom-DBR, on top of the top-DBR, or inbetween the layer sequence of one DBR. Integrated intra-cavity photodiodes offer superior characteristics in terms of reduced sensitivity for spontaneously emitted light [1] and thus are very well suited for power monitoring or even endof- life (EOL) detection. We present an advanced device design for an intra-cavity photodiode and according performance data in comparison with competing approaches.

VCSEL based sensors for distance and velocity

VCSEL based sensors can measure distance and velocity in three dimensional space and are already produced in high quantities for professional and consumer applications. Several physical principles are used: VCSELs are applied as infrared illumination for surveillance cameras. High power arrays combined with imaging optics provide a uniform illumination of scenes up to a distance of several hundred meters. Time-of-flight methods use a pulsed VCSEL as light source, either with strong single pulses at low duty cycle or with pulse trains. Because of the sensitivity to background light and the strong decrease of the signal with distance several Watts of laser power are needed at a distance of up to 100m. VCSEL arrays enable power scaling and can provide very short pulses at higher power density. Applications range from extended functions in a smartphone over industrial sensors up to automotive LIDAR for driver assistance and autonomous driving. Self-mixing interference works with coherent laser photons scattered back into the cavity. It is therefore insensitive to environmental light. The method is used to measure target velocity and distance with very high accuracy at distances up to one meter. Single-mode VCSELs with integrated photodiode and grating stabilized polarization enable very compact and cost effective products. Besides the well know application as computer input device new applications with even higher accuracy or for speed over ground measurement in automobiles and up to 250km/h are investigated. All measurement methods exploit the known VCSEL properties like robustness, stability over temperature and the potential for packages with integrated optics and electronics. This makes VCSEL sensors ideally suited for new mass applications in consumer and automotive markets.

Dynamics of the angular emission spectrum of large-area VCSELs

High power VCSELs can be realized by scaling up the active area of bottom-emitting devices. This results in a large Fresnel number of the laser cavity. The laser beam cannot be described with Gauss modes in a simple way anymore, but is best described in terms of tilted plane waves, called Fourier modes. The beam quality and mode spectra depending on the applied current and the temperature of the VCSEL are investigated. Two-dimensional measurements of the near and the far field are combined with power and spectral measurement to characterize the VCSEL. Polarization and Fourier filtering are used to examine the spatially-dependent emission in detail. A rich dynamic in the angular emission profile for large-area VCSELs is observed and can be explained by considering the residual reflections from the AR-coated substrate-air interface and thermal effects. The presented theoretical model simulates the dynamics of the angular emission. The calculated angular and spectral profiles match the experimental observations very well over the whole parameter range. The influence of the active area is studied for diameters of the oxide aperture from 20 up to 300 μm. For smaller diameters diffraction effects become more dominant, the Fresnel number is reduced and the emission spectrum gets closer to the Gauss mode description.

Optimized VCSELs for high-power arrays

High-power VCSEL systems with multi kilowatt output power require a good electro-optical efficiency at the point of operation i.e. at elevated temperature. The large number of optimization parameters can be structured in a way that separates system and assembly considerations from the minimization of electrical and optical losses in the epitaxially grown structure. Temperature dependent functions for gain parameters, internal losses and injection efficiency are derived from a fit to experimental data. The empirical description takes into account diameter dependent effects like current spreading or temperature dependent ones like voltage drops over hetero-interfaces in the DBR mirrors. By evaluating experimental measurements of the light output and voltage characteristics over a large range of temperature and diameter, wafer-characteristic parameters are extracted allowing to predict the performance of VCSELs made from this material in any array and assembly configuration. This approach has several beneficial outcomes: Firstly, it gives a general description of a VCSEL independent of its geometry, mounting and detuning, secondly, insights into the structure and the underlying physics can be gained that lead to the improvement potential of the structure and thirdly the performance of the structure in arrays and modules can be predicted. Experimental results validate the approach and demonstrate the significantly improved VCSEL efficiency and the benefit in high power systems.

Thermal crosstalk in integrated laser-Modulators

A monolithically integrated distributed feedback laser with an electroabsorption modulator has been investigated showing a redshift of emission wavelength with applied modulator bias voltage. This leads to an adiabatic chirp parameter /spl alpha//sub H/ of up to 0.13 that is usually zero for decoupled devices like hybrid laser modulator integrations. By measurement and corresponding simulation, the phenomenon was identified to be caused by thermal coupling between the sections.

Optically Controlled Current Confinement in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

We present a concept for optically controlled current confinement in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) based on the monolithic integration of a phototransistor. Omitting the usual oxide aperture improves the manufacturability and prevents built-in strain near the active zone. Measured continuous-wave operation characteristics of fabricated devices show hysteresis loops in the current-voltage and light-current curves or a negative differential resistance region. Moreover, the optoelectronic influence of the integrated phototransistor is compared with a regular VCSEL. Requirements for the switch-on point of the laser are defined and explained.

Modal Performance of Spiral Phase Plate VCSELs

A detailed parametric investigation of the modal performance of single-mode, single-polarization vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) loaded with a microspiral phase plate is reported. This paper stems from a recent publication, where the structure is technologically implemented and tested. Starting from the actual structure parameters, we investigate by VCSEL ELectroMagnetic (VELM), our in-house fully 3-D and vectorial solver, the features of such a novel approach to produce orbital angular momentum modes, in view of next-generation high-capacity optical communications.