An addressable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may generate structured light in dot patterns. The VCSEL array includes a plurality of traces that control different groups of VCSELs, such that each group of VCSELs may be individually controlled. The VCSEL groups are arranged such that they emit a dot pattern, and by modulating which groups of VCSELs are active a density of the dot pattern may be adjusted. The VCSEL array may be part of a depth projector that projects the dot pattern into a local area. A projection assembly may replicate the dot pattern in multiple tiles.

In a semiconductor laser device, a semiconductor layer includes a first groove formed on both sides of a ridge, a pair of second recesses facing each other and between which the ridge is interposed on a side of a light emitting surface, and a pair of third grooves in parallel to the first groove from the light emitting surface and interposing the ridge therebetween.

A laser device is provided which comprises a common waveguide layer and a plurality of laser bodies, wherein each of the laser bodies has an active region configured for generating coherent electromagnetic radiation. The laser bodies are arranged side by side on the common waveguide layer, wherein the laser bodies are directly adjacent to the common waveguide layer. In particular, the laser bodies are configured to be phase-coupled to each other via the waveguide layer during operation of the laser device. Furthermore, a method for producing such a phase-coupled laser device is provided.

A semiconductor light-emitting module according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements each outputting light of a desired beam projection pattern; and a support substrate holding the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements. Each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements includes a phase modulation layer configured to form a target beam projection pattern in a target beam projection region. The plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements include first and second semiconductor light-emitting elements that are different in terms of at least any of a beam projection direction, the target beam projection pattern, and a light emission wavelength.

A multi-electrode device is provided. The device improves electrical-to-optical (E-O) frequency response in vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array. An electrode is used in a near quasi-single-mode (QSM) VCSEL array having zinc diffusion apertures for enhancing high-speed data transmission. By forming a distance less than 20 microns between the centers of every two neighboring apertures in the VCSEL array being compact 2?2-coupled, high-speed data transmission is significantly enhanced. The present invention exhibits good electro-optical frequency response suppression and good 3-decibel E-O bandwidth. Concerning the maximum QSM optical output power and the Gaussian-like optical far-field with a narrow diverging angle, significant improvement in dynamic performance do not sacrifice static performance. Thus, the present invention obtains a better eye pattern for 32 gigabits per second (Gbit/s); and, under a moderate total bias current of 20 milli-amperes, 32 Gbit/s error-free transmission can be realized on a 500-meter multimode optical fiber.

Embodiments of an optical modulator device are described. An example optical modulator includes a ridge laser configured to emit light, a ridge waveguide configured to transition between a transparent state and an absorbing state, and a waveguide tap formed between the ridge laser and the ridge waveguide. The waveguide tap is configured to optically couple a fraction of light generated in the ridge laser to the ridge waveguide. In the transparent state of the ridge waveguide, the ridge waveguide is configured to output the fraction of light for interference with light emitted from the ridge laser. In the absorbing state of the ridge waveguide, the ridge waveguide is configured to absorb the fraction of light. Depending upon whether the fraction of light is output from the ridge waveguide for interference, the output power of the laser seen at the far-field of the optical modulator can be modulated for data communications.

Provided is a semiconductor laser device including a plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC that are capable of being independently driven, and a spatial light modulator SLM that is optically coupled to a group of the plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC. Each of the semiconductor laser units includes a pair of clad layers having an active layer 4 interposed therebetween, and a diffractive lattice layer 6 that is optically coupled to the active layer 4. The semiconductor laser device includes a wavelength plate 26 that is disposed between a group of the active layers 4 of the plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC and a reflection film 23, and a polarizing plate 27 that is disposed between the group of the active layers 4 of the plurality of semiconductor laser units LDC and a light emitting surface.

This semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser chip and a spatial light modulator SLM optically coupled to the semiconductor laser chip. The semiconductor laser chip LDC includes an active layer 4, a pair of cladding layers 2 and 7 sandwiching the active layer 4, a diffraction grating layer 6 optically coupled to the active layer 4, and a drive electrode E3 that is disposed between the cladding layer 2 and the spatial light modulator SLM and supplies an electric current to the active layer 4, and the drive electrode E3 is positioned within an XY plane and has a plurality of openings as viewed from a Z-axis direction and has a non-periodic structure.

We disclose a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) whose optical resonator can support multiple transverse resonator modes. The VCSEL has a plurality of electrodes that can apply individually controllable electrical currents to the active semiconductor region of the optical resonator and be configured to excite, e.g., a single selected transverse resonator mode or a desired linear combination of transverse resonator modes. In some embodiments, the VCSEL's optical resonator may have an effective lateral geometric shape that causes the excitable transverse resonator modes to correspond to the waveguide modes of a cylindrical optical fiber.

We disclose a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) whose optical resonator can support multiple transverse resonator modes. The VCSEL has a plurality of electrodes that can apply individually controllable electrical currents to the active semiconductor region of the optical resonator and be configured to excite, e.g., a single selected transverse resonator mode or a desired linear combination of transverse resonator modes. In some embodiments, the VCSEL's optical resonator may have an effective lateral geometric shape that causes the excitable transverse resonator modes to correspond to the waveguide modes of a cylindrical optical fiber.