Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Shiva Shahin

Dale Eugene Zimmerman

Raymond Kirk Price

Kai Zang

Christopher Francis Reidy

A laser device for use with a display including a plurality of pixels is disclosed. The laser device includes a gain section and a modulator. The gain section is electrically coupled with a first current or voltage source. The gain section is configured to selectively amplify an optical power of light reflecting within the gain section based on a first drive current or voltage supplied from the first current or voltage source to the gain section. The modulator is optically coupled with the gain section. The modulator is electrically coupled with a second current or voltage source. The modulator is configured to selectively attenuate or amplify an optical power of light received from the gain section based on a second drive current or voltage supplied from the second current or voltage source to the modulator. Light emitted from the modulator is provided to the display.

Modulator integration for laser used with display

A laser device includes a laser and a controller. The laser has an optical cavity that includes an active gain section and a phase shifter. The controller is configured to excite the active gain section to lase light out of the optical cavity. The controller is further configured to, while the light is being lased out of the optical cavity, modulate a refractive index of the phase shifter to shift an optical phase of lasing modes of the lased light to thereby reduce coherence of the lased light.

Laser having reduced coherence via a phaser shifter

A broad-spectrum laser for use in a MEMS laser scanning display device is provided. In one example, the broad-spectrum laser includes a laser diode emitter with plural quantum wells each having a different spectral peak. In another example, the broad-spectrum laser includes a laser diode emitter with a tunable absorber to achieve a broadened emissions spectrum. In another example, the broad-spectrum laser includes a laser diode emitter array having plural individual emitters with different spectral peaks.

Broadened spectrum laser diode for display device

Systems and methods are provided for controlling and/or modifying operation of a red, green, blue (RGB) laser assembly for creating images in mixed-reality environments. Initially, the lasers in the RGB laser assembly operate in a low power or non-emitting state. Then, the lasers emit laser light to illuminate a pixel or a group of pixels. This illumination occurs for a period of time spanning less than 15 nanoseconds. By causing the lasers to emit laser light only during this short period of time, the resulting laser light is structured with a reduced spatial coherence level. Once the time period elapses, then the lasers again return to the non-emitting state. This process repeats for each pixel such that the lasers generate pulsed emissions. By operating the lasers with a reduced spatial coherence, undesired visual artifacts can be reduced or eliminated within the target display area.

Fringe mitigation using short pulsed laser diodes

An edge-emitting laser includes an active gain section and a reflector section optically coupled to the active gain section. The active gain section is configured to amplify an optical power of light across a wavelength range. The reflector section is configured to selectively reflect light of a selected wavelength within the wavelength range. The selected wavelength is tunable via high-frequency index modulation of the reflector section. The active gain section and the reflector section collectively form an optical cavity configured to lase coherent light in the selected wavelength.

Edge-emitting laser with high-frequency modulated reflector section

A system includes a waveguide and an edge-emitting laser. The edge-emitting laser is configured to lase coherent light into the waveguide. The edge-emitting laser includes an optical cavity having an active gain section and a passive section. The active gain section is configured to amplify an optical power of light reflecting within the optical cavity. The passive section increases a functional length of the optical cavity such that a total length of the optical cavity reduces fringe interference of the coherent light propagating through the waveguide.

Two-section edge-emitting laser

An edge-emitting laser including a substrate, a lower power optical cavity located on the substrate and a higher power optical cavity located on the substrate adjacent the lower power optical cavity. The lower power optical cavity includes a first active gain section having a first length. The higher power optical cavity includes a second active gain section having a second length greater than the first length.

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Shiva Shahin