Patent ID: 7424042
Filing Date: 2008-09-09
Classification: B82Y,H01S

Abstract:
1. An optical source comprising: a quantum well gain medium; a thermally conductive substrate; and an optical resonator, wherein said quantum well gain medium has a base side and an epi side, and is bonded to the thermally conductive substrate on the epi side, and wherein said optical resonator is less than 30 millimeters is length and comprises at least one optical feedback element spatially removed from the quantum well gain medium, wherein said quantum well gain medium further comprises: a quantum well stack; waveguide layers; regrowth material; emission facets; and a bond layer, wherein said quantum well stack is comprised of a plurality of semiconductor layers forming quantum wells and barrier regions, wherein said quantum well gain medium bonded to said thermally conductive substrate forms an electrically conductive serial circuit whereby electrical current may pass from the base side, through the quantum wells, further through the bonded surface, and into the bond layer, and wherein said waveguide layers are disposed on either of two opposing sides of the quantum well stack and are optically and electrically conductive, wherein said regrowth material is electrically insulative, optically opaque, and disposed on either of two opposing sides of the quantum well stack, wherein said emission facets are planar surfaces formed in a natural plane of the quantum well stack operable for coupling of optical beams into and out of the gain medium, and wherein said bond layer is a metallic or electrically conductive layer disposed on a waveguide layer to form a bond between the epi side of the quantum well gain medium and the thermally conductive substrate.