Patent ID: 9065249
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A surface-emitting laser comprising: a gain medium to emit an electromagnetic wave; and a photonic crystal, electromagnetically coupled to the gain medium, having an energy band structure characterized by a Brillouin zone to support radiation of at least a portion of the energy in the electromagnetic wave in a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane of the photonic crystal, wherein a first radiation-loss linewidth of a first band-edge mode in the energy band structure at least partially overlaps in frequency with a second radiation-loss linewidth of a second band-edge mode in the energy band structure from a center of the Brillouin zone of the photonic crystal to a critical wave vector, the critical wave vector being greater than zero, wherein at least one of a first frequency of the first band-edge mode or a second frequency of the second band-edge mode is within a gain band of the gain medium.