Trw Limited

Szutsun S Ou

Michael Jansen

Jane J Yang

Jaroslava Z Wilcox

Larry R Eaton

Moshe Sergant

Arnold H Silver

Hugo W Chan

Thomas J Roth

Bruce J Dalrymple

Eugene L Dines

Susanne L Thomasson

A monolithically-integrated semiconductor/ superconductor infrared detector and readout circuit providing sensitive, low-noise detection of infrared radiation for high-performance focal plane array applications. The infrared detector and readout circuit includes a semiconductor infrared detector and a semiconductor/superconductor transimpedance readout amplifier fabricated directly on the infrared detector using thin-film, integrated-circuit processing techniques. A superconducting analog-to-digital (A/D) converter digitizes the detector signals in the cryogenically cooled environment of the detector before coupling the signals to the much warmer and electromagnetically noisier environment of the back-end signal processing electronics, thus reducing noise contamination.

Monolithically-integrated semiconductor/superconductor infrared detector

A semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) structure diode device for providing fast optoelectronic switching with stimulated emission. The device includes a substrate which has a buffer layer disposed on top thereof. An n-type cladding layer is disposed on top of the buffer layer. An undoped i-region is disposed on top of the buffer layer. The i-region includes at least one quantum well disposed between two waveguide layers. A lightly doped p-type cladding layer is disposed on top of the i-region. A contact layer is further disposed on top of the p-type cladding layer. First and second contact terminals are included for providing a two-terminal device. The diode advantageously provides good lasing performance, significant negative differential resistance and strong light sensitivity. In an alternate embodiment, a third terminal is connected to the undoped i-region to thereby form a three terminal device.

Quantum well switching device with stimulated emission capabilities

A surface-emitting semiconductor injection laser for use in fabricating high-power two-dimensional monolithic laser arrays. The surface-emitting semiconductor laser includes a substrate and an active layer and a pair of cladding layers formed on the substrate. A folded resonator cavity is formed by highly-reflective 45.degree. and 90.degree. micromirrors that are etched at either end of the active layer and by a partially-reflective reflector that is positioned between the 45.degree. micromirror and the substrate for outcoupling the laser light from the resonator cavity. The semiconductor laser is mounted junction down on a heat sink to position the active layer close to the heat sink for good heat dissipation at high power levels. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is optically opaque and an opening is etched in the substrate for outcoupling the laser light. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the substrate is optically transparent and a microlens is formed on the substrate to collimate the laser light.

High-power surface-emitting semiconductor injection laser with etched

A two-dimensional integrated laser array having a plurality of surface-emitting laser arrays and a plurality of waveguides for optically coupling the individual laser arrays together. Each surface-emitting laser array includes a plurality of injection lasers which are evanescently coupled together in order to emit a single beam of light. The coupling provided by the waveguides causes the surface-emitting laser arrays to operate in phase and at the same wavelength as an external master oscillator. Therefore, the surface-emitting laser arrays generate coherent beams of light, which are combined and focused by a micro-lens. The output of the micro-lens is a single, coherent high-power optical beam which is emitted perpendicular to the two-dimensional integrated laser array.

Two-dimensional integrated laser array

A semiconductor diode structure including a light-absorbing substrate, an active region, and a pair of cladding layers surrounding the active region. Lasing is inhibited by means of an inclined end facet, which reflects light down into the substrate, where it is absorbed, to provide only one pass of the spontaneously emitted light through the active region. One disclosed embodiment has a conventional end facet for the out-coupling of edge-emitted light. Another embodiment includes a surface-emitting facet formed in an opening in the substrate adjacent to the inclined facet. Yet another embodiment has two inclined facets. One inclined facet may serve to reflect light into the absorbing substrate, or both may serve to reflect light through separate surface emitting facets.

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Manhattan Beach, CA, United States of America

Szutsun S Ou