Avalon Photonics Ltd.

Fabrice Monti Di Sopra

Elyahou Kapon

Michael Moser

Marcel Brunner

A method is disclosed in which the principle of phase-coupling is used to stabilize the polarization of laser radiation emitted by a plurality of phase-coupled vertical cavity surface emitting laser elements. Due to a suitable coupling strength between adjacent VCSEL elements, the probability of polarization flips of VCSEL devices operated in the single mode region is zero or at least drastically reduced. Moreover, a VCSEL device is disclosed, comprising a polarization adjusting means for controlling the polarization direction of an arrangement of a plurality of phase-coupled VCSEL elements, wherein the polarization direction of each VCSEL element is substantially kept constant.

Polarization-stable vertical cavity surface emitting laser device and a method of stabilizing the polarization of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser device

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device (VCSEL) comprises a plurality of VCSEL elements arranged on a common substrate, each VCSEL element comprising first mirror means and second mirror means, each having a predefined reflectivity at a predetermined wavelength, for forming an optical resonator for said wavelength, and a laser active region disposed between said first and second mirror means. In addition, the VCSEL device comprises a grid layer having a plurality of openings corresponding to the respective VCSEL elements and a contact layer having a predetermined thickness, said contact layer being interposed between each of said first mirror means and said grid layer, wherein an optical thickness of said contact layer and a reflectivity and an absorption of said grid layer is selected so as to provide an effective reflectivity of each of said first mirror means depending on said grid layer and being different for areas covered by the grid and areas corresponding to said grid openings.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Fabrice Monti Di Sopra