A tunable source includes a short-cavity laser optimized for performance and reliability in SSOCT imaging systems, spectroscopic detection systems, and other types of detection and sensing systems. The short cavity laser has a large free spectral range cavity, fast tuning response and single transverse, longitudinal and polarization mode operation, and includes embodiments for fast and wide tuning, and optimized spectral shaping. Disclosed are both electrical and optical pumping in a MEMS-VCSEL geometry with mirror and gain regions optimized for wide tuning, high output power, and a variety of preferred wavelength ranges; and a semiconductor optical amplifier, combined with the short-cavity laser to produce high-power, spectrally shaped operation. Several preferred imaging and detection systems make use of this tunable source for optimized operation are also disclosed.

The present invention provides a surface emitting laser the wavelength-tunable band of which is wide. The wavelength-tunable surface emitting laser includes a first reflector (101), an active layer (103) disposed on the first reflector (101), a beam portion (110) disposed over the active layer (103) with an air gap therebetween, and a second reflector (120) disposed on the beam portion (110). The second reflector (120) has a distributed Bragg reflector consisting of a stack of dielectric layers. The beam portion (110) has a distributed Bragg reflector consisting of a stack of conductive semiconductor layers.

The invention discloses a semiconductor optoelectronic micro-device comprising at least one cavity and at least one multilayer interference reflector. The device represents a micrometer-scale pillar with an arbitrary shape of the cross section. The device includes a vertical optical cavity, a gain medium and means of injection of nonequilibrium carriers into the gain medium, most preferably, via current injection in a p-n-junction geometry. To allow high electric-to-optic power conversion at least one contact is placed on the sidewalls of the micropillar overlapping with at least one doped section of the device. Means for the current path towards the contacts and for the heat dissipation from the gain medium are provided. Arrays of micro-devices can be fabricated on single wafer or mounted on single carrier. Devices with different cross-section of the micropillar emit light at different wavelengths.

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VSCEL) and method for producing a VCSEL are described, the VCSEL including an undercut active region. The active region of the VCSEL is undercut relative to current-spreading layers of the VCSEL, such that a width of a tunnel junction of the VCSEL overgrown by a current spreading layer is less than a width of an active region of the VCSEL, and a width of the active region of the VCSEL is less than a width of the overgrown current-spreading layer, such that the VCSEL including the undercut active region is configured to transmit data at speeds greater than 25 gigabits/second.

A device comprises a substrate, a sacrificial material layer over the substrate, a first solid-state material layer over the sacrificial layer, a dielectric layer over solid-state material layer, and a second solid-state material layer over the dielectric layer. The sacrificial material layer may have an airgap, the solid-state material layer may comprise a structure over the airgap and may be separated from a bulk portion of the first material layer by trenches, where the trenches extend to the airgap.

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VSCEL) and method for producing a VCSEL are described, the VCSEL including an undercut active region. The active region of the VCSEL is undercut relative to current-spreading layers of the VCSEL, such that a width of a tunnel junction of the VCSEL overgrown by a current spreading layer is less than a width of an active region of the VCSEL, and a width of the active region of the VCSEL is less than a width of the overgrown current-spreading layer, such that the VCSEL including the undercut active region is configured to transmit data at speeds greater than 25 gigabits/second.

A high-contrast grating (HCG) structure and method of fabrication. The grating of the HCG is formed over a structural spacer layer, allowing a wider range of grating patterns, such as post and other forms which are lack structural support when fabricated over an air spacing beneath the grating elements. The technique involves etching the HCG grating, followed by oxidizing through this HCG grating into an oxide spacer layer beneath it creating a low-index area beneath the grating. This form of HCG reflector can be utilizes as upper and/or lower reflectors in fabricating vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs).

An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate with a first set of epitaxial layers formed on an area of the substrate defining a lower distributed Bragg-reflector (DBR) stack. A second set of epitaxial layers formed over the first set defines a quantum well structure, and a third set of epitaxial layers, formed over the second set, defines an upper DBR stack. At least the third set of epitaxial layers is contained in a mesa having sides that are perpendicular to the epitaxial layers. A dielectric coating extends over the sides of at least a part of the mesa that contains the third set of epitaxial layers. Electrodes are coupled to the epitaxial layers so as to apply an excitation current to the quantum well structure.

A tunable source includes a short-cavity laser optimized for performance and reliability in SSOCT imaging systems, spectroscopic detection systems, and other types of detection and sensing systems. The short cavity laser has a large free spectral range cavity, fast tuning response and single transverse, longitudinal and polarization mode operation, and includes embodiments for fast and wide tuning, and optimized spectral shaping. Disclosed are both electrical and optical pumping in a MEMS-VCSEL geometry with mirror and gain regions optimized for wide tuning, high output power, and a variety of preferred wavelength ranges; and a semiconductor optical amplifier, combined with the short-cavity laser to produce high-power, spectrally shaped operation. Several preferred imaging and detection systems make use of this tunable source for optimized operation are also disclosed.

A tunable source includes a short-cavity laser optimized for performance and reliability in SSOCT imaging systems, spectroscopic detection systems, and other types of detection and sensing systems. The short cavity laser has a large free spectral range cavity, fast tuning response and single transverse, longitudinal and polarization mode operation, and includes embodiments for fast and wide tuning, and optimized spectral shaping. Disclosed are both electrical and optical pumping in a MEMS-VCSEL geometry with mirror and gain regions optimized for wide tuning, high output power, and a variety of preferred wavelength ranges; and a semiconductor optical amplifier, combined with the short-cavity laser to produce high-power, spectrally shaped operation. Several preferred imaging and detection systems make use of this tunable source for optimized operation are also disclosed.