Patent ID: 6154480
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A vertical-cavity laser (VCL) supported on a substrate and having a resonant cavity, comprising:a first mirror overlying the substrate for reflecting light during laser operation;an active region overlying the first mirror, the active region including means for photon emission during laser operation;a guided-mode resonance (GMR) mirror overlying the active region and having at least one resonant waveguide grating, the GMR mirror reflecting light at a resonance wavelength, and diffractively coupling oscillating laser light to a leaky waveguide mode propagating along the active region to provide optical power flow, and attendant photon gain path, both across and along the active region;at least one spacer layer overlying the GMR mirror for optical confinement; andfirst and second contact layers positioned on top and bottom surfaces of the vertical cavity laser for electrical contacts, one of said contact layers having an aperture for outputting a laser beam that is normal to the substrate.