By eliminating the need to use a high-precision clock in pulse width detection for pulse width adjustment in a case where light-emitting elements as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers are pulse-driven, circuit configuration is simplified and cost is reduced. A laser drive apparatus according to the present technology includes a drive circuit unit that drives light-emitting elements as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers to emit light on the basis of a pulse signal, a pulse width detection unit that detects the pulse width of the pulse signal on the basis of the potential of a capacitor when the capacitor is charged on the basis of the pulse signal, and a control unit that performs control so that the pulse width is adjusted on the basis of a detection result of the pulse width.

A multisection digital supermode-distributed Bragg reflector (MSDS-DBR) comprising: a plurality P of digital supermode Bragg reflector (DS-DBR) grating sections arranged along a waveguide; wherein each DS-DBR grating section is configured to pass or reflect light over a given spectral region, the given spectral region being different from the spectral regions of the other DS-DBR grating sections; wherein each DS-DBR grating section comprises a plurality M of grating sub-regions, each sub-region corresponding to a spectral sub-band within the spectral region of the DS-DBR grating section, and wherein each grating sub-region includes a positive electrical contact and a negative electrical contact; said grating sub-region being configured to pass or reflect light of its spectral sub-band when an electrical bias is provided between its positive and negative electrical contacts.

A VCSEL can include: an electro-optic modulator between a lasing active region and a light emitting surface. The electro-optic modulator can include: an electro-optically active region; a modulator mirror region over the electro-optically active region; and at least one electrical insulator region separating the modulator mirror region into at least two separate modulator mirror cavities electrically isolated from each other, wherein each separate modulator mirror cavity and a longitudinally aligned portion of the electro-optically active region form an electro-optic modulator cavity. A method of emitting light from a VCSEL can include: emitting a laser beam from the lasing active region along a longitudinal axis; and changing a refractive index of one electro-optic modulator cavity so as to steer the laser beam from the longitudinal axis.

A two-section semiconductor laser includes a gain section and a modulation-independent grating section to reduce chirp. The modulation-independent grating section includes a diffraction grating for reflecting light and forms a laser cavity with the gain section for lasing at a wavelength or range of wavelengths reflected by the diffraction grating. The gain section of the semiconductor laser includes a gain electrode for driving the gain section with at least a modulated RF signal and the grating section includes a grating electrode for driving the grating section with a DC bias current independent of the modulation of the gain section. The semiconductor laser may thus be directly modulated with the modulated RF signal without the modulation significantly affecting the index of refraction in the diffraction grating, thereby reducing chirp.

A laser diode includes a semiconductor structure of a lower Bragg reflector layer, an active region, and an upper Bragg reflector layer. The upper Bragg reflector layer includes a lasing aperture having an optical axis oriented perpendicular to a surface of the active region. The active region includes a first material, and the lower Bragg reflector layer includes a second material, where respective lattice structures of the first and second materials are independent of one another. Related laser arrays and methods of fabrication are also discussed.

A laser diode includes a semiconductor structure of a lower Bragg reflector layer, an active region, and an upper Bragg reflector layer. The upper Bragg reflector layer includes a lasing aperture having an optical axis oriented perpendicular to a surface of the active region. The active region includes a first material, and the lower Bragg reflector layer includes a second material, where respective lattice structures of the first and second materials are independent of one another. Related laser arrays and methods of fabrication are also discussed.

Building blocks are provided for on-chip chemical sensors and other highly-compact photonic integrated circuits combining interband or quantum cascade lasers and detectors with passive waveguides and other components integrated on a III-V or silicon. A MWIR or LWIR laser source is evanescently coupled into a passive extended or resonant-cavity waveguide that provides evanescent coupling to a sample gas (or liquid) for spectroscopic chemical sensing. In the case of an ICL, the uppermost layer of this passive waveguide has a relatively high index of refraction that enables it to form the core of the waveguide, while the ambient air, consisting of the sample gas, functions as the top cladding layer. A fraction of the propagating light beam is absorbed by the sample gas if it contains a chemical species having a fingerprint absorption feature within the spectral linewidth of the laser emission.

A light source device includes: a first optical element through which emission light emitted from each of semiconductor laser elements propagates; a first light receiver that receives first propagating light that has propagated through the first optical element; a laser driving controller that controls the semiconductor laser elements; and a measurement circuit that measures a first output value that indicates a received-light intensity of the first propagating light that has been received by the first light receiver. The first light receiver is disposed downstream of the first optical element. The laser driving controller drives the semiconductor laser elements by using a plurality of values of a driving current that are different from each other. The measurement circuit measures the first output value of the first propagating light received by first light receiver for each of the plurality of values of the driving current that are different from each other.

A light source device includes: a first optical element through which emission light emitted from each of semiconductor laser elements propagates; a first light receiver that receives first propagating light that has propagated through the first optical element; a laser driving controller that controls the semiconductor laser elements; and a measurement circuit that measures a first output value that indicates a received-light intensity of the first propagating light that has been received by the first light receiver. The first light receiver is disposed downstream of the first optical element. The laser driving controller drives the semiconductor laser elements by using a plurality of values of a driving current that are different from each other. The measurement circuit measures the first output value of the first propagating light received by first light receiver for each of the plurality of values of the driving current that are different from each other.

A power beaming system includes a power beam transmitter arranged to transmit the power beam, and a power beam receiver arranged to receive the power beam from the power beam transmitter. A power beam transmission source is arranged to generate a laser light beam for transmission by the power beam transmitter from a first location toward a remote second location. A beam-shaping element shapes the laser light beam, at least one diffusion element uniformly distributes light of the shaped laser light beam, and a projection element illuminates a power beam receiving element of predetermined shape with the shaped laser light beam. At the power beam receiver, a diffusion surface diffuses a portion the power beam specularly reflected from the power beam receiver.