A novel, monolithically integrated mid-IR optical phased array (OPA) structure which eliminates the wafer bonding process to achieve highly efficient surface emitting optical beam steering in two dimensions is disclosed. Since solar energy is about 15-20 times smaller than that at 1.55 μm, mid-IR is more favorable for the atmospheric transmission due to lower solar radiance backgrounds. For the beam steering, thermo-optic phase shifting is used for azimuthal plane beam steering and laser wavelength tuning is used for elevation plane beam steering. The OPA structure disclosed comprises a wavelength-tunable a QCL, a 1×32 splitter, thermo-optic phase-shifters, and sub-wavelength grating emitters. The disclosed OPA provides a low-cost, low-loss, low-power consumption, robust, small footprint, apparatus that may be used with expendable UAV swarms. A LiDAR may be created by monolithically integrating a QCD with the apparatus. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A light emitting device, includes a selective growth mask layer 44; a first light reflection layer 41 thinner than the selective growth mask layer 44; a laminated structure including a first compound semiconductor layer 21, an active layer 23, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22, the first compound semiconductor layer 21 being formed on the first light reflection layer 41; and a second electrode 32 formed on the second compound semiconductor layer 22, and a second light reflection layer 42, in which the second light reflection layer 42 is opposed to the first light reflection layer 41, and the second light reflection layer is not formed on an upper side of the selective growth mask layer 44.

An oxide-confined vertical cavity surface emitting laser including a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) wherein the layers of the (DBR) includes a multi-section layer consisting of a first section having a moderately high aluminum composition, an second section which is an insertion having a low aluminum composition, and a third section which is an oxide-confined aperture formed by partial oxidation of a layer having a high aluminum composition (95% and above). A difference in aluminum composition between a high value in the aperture layer and a moderately high value in the first section prevents non-desirable oxidation of the first section from the mesa side while the aperture layer is being oxidized. A low aluminum composition in the second section prevents non-desirable oxidation in the vertical direction of the layer adjacent to the targeted aperture layer.

An optoelectronic semiconductor device is disclosed wherein the device is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser or a photodiode containing a section, the top part of which is electrically isolated from the rest of the device. The electric isolation can be realized by etching a set of holes and selective oxidation of AlGaAs layer or layers such that the oxide forms a continuous layer or layers everywhere beneath the top surface of this section. Alternatively, a device can be grown epitaxially on a semi-insulating substrate, and a round trench around a section of the device can be etched down to the semi-insulating substrate thus isolating this section electrically from the rest of the device. Then if top contact pads are deposited on top of the electrically isolated section, the pads have a low capacitance, and a pad capacitance below two hundred femto-Farads, and the total capacitance of the device below three hundred femto-Farads can be reached.

An optoelectronic semiconductor device is disclosed wherein the device is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser or a photodiode containing a section, the top part of which is electrically isolated from the rest of the device. The electric isolation can be realized by etching a set of holes and selective oxidation of AlGaAs layer or layers such that the oxide forms a continuous layer or layers everywhere beneath the top surface of this section. Alternatively, a device can be grown epitaxially on a semi-insulating substrate, and a round trench around a section of the device can be etched down to the semi-insulating substrate thus isolating this section electrically from the rest of the device. Then if top contact pads are deposited on top of the electrically isolated section, the pads have a low capacitance, and a pad capacitance below two hundred femto-Farads, and the total capacitance of the device below three hundred femto-Farads can be reached.

Disclosed is a current-injection organic semiconductor laser diode comprising a pair of electrodes, an optical resonator structure, and one or more organic layers including a light amplification layer composed of an organic semiconductor, which has a sufficient overlap between the distribution of exciton density and the electric field intensity distribution of the resonant optical mode during current injection to emit laser light.

An array of surface-emitting gain chips includes a common substrate, plural gain chips formed on the common substrate, each configured to generate a light beam, plural optical couplers, each located on a top surface of a corresponding gain chip of the plural gain chips, plural optical fibers, each connected with one end to a corresponding optical coupler of the plurality of optical couplers, an array wide optical coupler connected to another end of the plural optical fibers, and a single optical fiber connected to the array wide optical coupler and configured to output the combined light beams.

An array of surface-emitting gain chips includes a common substrate, plural gain chips formed on the common substrate, each configured to generate a light beam, plural optical couplers, each located on a top surface of a corresponding gain chip of the plural gain chips, plural optical fibers, each connected with one end to a corresponding optical coupler of the plurality of optical couplers, an array wide optical coupler connected to another end of the plural optical fibers, and a single optical fiber connected to the array wide optical coupler and configured to output the combined light beams.

An electronic device and associated methods are disclosed. In one example, the electronic device includes a laser package. In selected examples, the laser package can include a substrate having a substrate front surface and defining a cavity that extends into the substrate front surface. The laser package can further include a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) attached to the substrate within the cavity at a first surface of the PIC, and laser circuitry communicably coupled to a second surface of the PIC opposite the first surface.

Optoelectronic device undergoes selective chemical transformation like alloy compositional intermixing forming a non-transformed core region and an adjacent to it periphery where transformation has occurred. Activated by selective implantation or diffusion of impurities like Zinc or Silicon, implantation or diffusion of point defects, or laser annealing, transformation results in a change of the refractive index such that the vertical profile of the refractive index at the periphery is distinct from that in the core. Therefore the optical modes of the core are no longer orthogonal to the modes of the periphery, are optically coupled to them and exhibit lateral leakage losses to the periphery. High order transverse optical modes associated to the same vertical optical mode have higher lateral leakage losses to the periphery than the fundamental transverse optical mode, thus supporting single transverse mode operation of the device. This approach applies to single transverse mode vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, edge-emitting lasers and coherently coupled arrays of such devices.