Patent ID: 7801197
Filing Date: 2010-09-21
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A VECSEL laser without a substrate comprising: a saturable absorber comprising at least one quantum well; an active region with a number of quantum wells; a bottom reflector; a first partial reflector and a second partial reflector; a spacer layer on the surface of the first partial reflector configured for keeping the active region and the saturable absorber separate; wherein the absorber, the active region, the bottom reflector, the first partial reflector; the spacer layer and the second partial reflector forming a stack of semiconductor layers; and at least one first contact and a second contact for conducting a biasing current through the saturable absorber to reduce saturation photon intensity in the saturable absorber; wherein the at least one first contact and the second contact are formed on a common side of the laser, and the at least one first contact is formed on a surface of a groove penetrating through layers of the laser from at least the bottom reflector to at least the second partial reflector; and wherein the intensity of the biasing current is configured to be selected to be below a saturation level of the at least one quantum well of the saturable absorber; and the reflectivity of said first and second partial reflectors is less than a lasing threshold; wherein the VECSEL laser further comprises an output coupler mirror to reach said lasing threshold.