Patent ID: 7583712

Claim:
An apparatus for generating wavelength-stabilized light, comprising: a light-emitting device comprising: at least one first reflector providing a reflectivity band in a broad wavelength range and a broad range of tilt angles; at least one first cavity; a planar active element comprising a planar p-n junction, said planar p-n junction comprising an active region, wherein said active region is capable of generating light when nonequilibrium carriers are injected, and wherein said active region has a broad spectral range of photoluminescence; an injection device that provides for injection of nonequilibrium carriers into said active region; and an exit plane that extends parallel to a plane of said planar p-n junction, wherein generated light exits said light-emitting device through said exit plane in a broad variety of angles deflected from a direction normal to said exit plane and within a range of wavelengths defined by the photoluminescence spectrum of said active region, and wherein said generated light is not wavelength-selective; at least one second cavity located adjacent said exit plane at a side of said exit plane opposite to said light-emitting device; and at least one second reflector located adjacent said at least one second cavity, wherein the light generated by said light-emitting device and exiting through said exit plane propagates through said at least one second cavity, is reflected by said at least one second reflector, propagates back through said at least one second cavity, and reaches said active region such that phase-matching conditions are met for light which: i) exits said light-emitting device at selective angles, wherein the selective angles, defined in a semiconducting material with respect to the direction normal to said exit plane, are larger than five degrees; and ii) has a selective wavelength or one of a few selective wavelengths, wherein said selective wavelengths determine a wavelength-stabilized operation of said apparatus, and wherein no phase-matching conditions are met for light exiting said light-emitting device at an angle with respect to the direction normal to said exit plane smaller than five degrees in semiconducting material.