Patent ID: 6810053
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A surface emitting semiconductor laser comprising:(a) a semiconductor structure including a substrate and an epitaxial structure on the substrate, the epitaxial structure including a layer with an active region at which light emission occurs, an upper cladding layer above the active region layer and a lower cladding layer below the active region layer to surround the active region layer, the semiconductor structure having an upper face, a lower face, and edge faces that terminate the semiconductor structure longitudinally, and electrodes at the upper and lower faces by which voltage can be applied across the epitaxial structure and the substrate; (b) a distributed feedback grating incorporated with the epitaxial structure extending in a longitudinal direction and terminating longitudinally at ends thereof, comprising periodically alternating grating elements to provide optical feedback as a second order grating for a selected effective wavelength of light generation from the active region, the grating having a spacing between adjacent grating elements at a position intermediate the ends of the grating that corresponds to a selected phase shift in the grating, the grating formed and positioned to act upon the light generated in the active region to produce lasing action and emission of light from at least one of the upper and lower faces; and (c) distributed Bragg reflector gratings incorporated with the epitaxial structure and positioned only at the longitudinal ends of the distributed feedback grating to reflect light back longitudinally to the distributed feedback grating wherein current flow is blocked through the distributed Bragg reflector gratings.