Patent ID: 7257141

Claim:
An array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) comprising: a first VCSEL including a first laser aperture partially bounded by an oxidized semiconductor material forming a first oxide wall, the first oxide wall including a an opening in the first oxide wall; a second VCSEL positioned adjacent to the first VCSEL, the second VCSEL including a second laser aperture partially bounded by oxidized semiconductor material forming a second oxide wall, the second oxide wall including an opening in the second oxide wall; and, a ground contact coupled to a first side of the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL and a top contact coupled to a second side of the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL to simultaneously provide current to the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL closely packed such that when the top contact simultaneously provides current to the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL, the openings in the first oxide wall and the second oxide wall are sufficiently large that evanescent fields output by the first VCSEL causes mode coupling between the first VCSEL and the second VCSEL.