Disclosed herein are various embodiments for high performance wireless data transfers. In an example embodiment, laser chips are used to support the data transfers using laser signals that encode the data to be transferred. The laser chip can be configured to (1) receive a digital signal and (2) responsive to the received digital signal, generate and emit a variable laser signal, wherein the laser chip comprises a laser-emitting epitaxial structure, wherein the laser-emitting epitaxial structure comprises a plurality of laser-emitting regions within a single mesa structure that generate the variable laser signal. Also disclosed are a number of embodiments for a photonics receiver that can receive and digitize the laser signals produced by the laser chips. Such technology can be used to wireless transfer large data sets such as lidar point clouds at high data rates.

A radiation source includes a semiconductor substrate, an array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) formed on the substrate, which are configured to emit optical radiation, and a transparent crystalline layer formed over the array of VCSELs. The transparent crystalline layer has an outer surface configured to diffuse the radiation emitted by the VCSELs.

An optical module includes a semiconductor optical device in which an active layer located at one side, an electrode located at the same side, and a mirror that reflects light toward the side opposite the electrode are monolithically integrated, a sub-mount having one surface on which a first wiring pattern is formed, a substrate in which an optical waveguide and a grating coupler are formed in a surface layer of the substrate, a spacer having an upper surface on which a second wiring pattern is formed, and a wire. The sub-mount is mounted on the spacer. The first wiring pattern on the sub-mount faces part of the second wiring pattern on the spacer and is electrically connected thereto. The second wiring pattern on the spacer includes a pad being disposed in a region exposed from the sub-mount and being bonded to the wire.

A VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSELs, each having more than two modes, and the optical emission from each of the VCSELs overlaps in a far field of the VCSELs. A VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSELs, each having an aperture size of at least about 6 ?m, and the optical emission from each of the VCSELs overlaps in a far field of the VCSELs. A VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSELs, wherein the spectral width of each VCSEL is at least about 0.5 nm, and the optical emission from each of the VCSELs overlaps in a far field of the VCSELs.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for laser apparatuses. In an example embodiment, the laser apparatus comprises (1) a laser-emitting epitaxial structure having a front and a back, wherein the laser-emitting epitaxial structure is back-emitting and comprises a plurality of laser regions within a single mesa structure, each laser region having an aperture through which laser beams are controllably emitted, (2) a micro-lens array located on the back of the laser-emitting epitaxial structure, wherein each micro-lens of the micro-lens array is aligned with a laser region of the laser-emitting epitaxial structure, and (3) a non-coherent beam combiner positioned to non-coherently combine a plurality of laser beams emitted from the apertures.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser for use in an optical module for measuring distances and/or movements, using the self-mixing effect. The semiconductor laser comprises a layer structure including an active region (3) embedded between two layer sequences (1, 2) and further comprises a photodetector arranged to measure an intensity of an optical field resonating in said laser. The photodetector is a phototransistor composed of an emitter layer (e), a collector layer (c) and a base layer (b), each of which being a bulk layer and forming part of one of said layer sequences (1, 2). With the proposed semiconductor laser an optical module based on this laser can be manufactured more easily, at lower costs and in a smaller size than known modules.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for laser arrays that include graphene lens structures located on laser-emitting semiconductor structures. In an example embodiment, an apparatus comprising (1) a laser-emitting epitaxial structure having a front and a back, wherein the laser-emitting epitaxial structure is back-emitting, and (2) a graphene lens structure located on the back of the laser-emitting epitaxial structure. Photolithography processes can be used to deploy the graphene lens structures on the laser structures.

Provided are a VCSEL with a small divergence angle, a VCSEL chip with a small divergence angle, and a light source for a LIDAR system. The laser includes an active layer and a lower Bragg reflection layer and an upper Bragg reflection layer on two opposite sides of the active layer. A light storage layer is disposed at at least one of a position between the lower Bragg reflection layer and the active layer or a position between the upper Bragg reflection layer and the active layer, where the light storage layer is configured to store energy of a standing wave light field. An antireflection layer having an antireflection interface is disposed between the light storage layer and the active layer, where the antireflection layer is configured to increase a maximal light field intensity of the light storage layer to be higher than a maximal light field intensity of the active layer.

This disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for sorting target particles. In various embodiments, the disclosure provides a cassette for sorting target particles, methods for sorting target particles, methods of loading a microchannel for maintaining sample material viability, methods of quantifying sample material, and an optical apparatus for laser scanning and particle sorting.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for stronger and more powerful high speed laser arrays. For example, an apparatus is disclosed that comprises (1) a single laser emitting epitaxial structure that comprises a plurality of laser regions, each laser region of the single laser emitting epitaxial structure being electrically isolated within the single laser emitting epitaxial structure itself relative to the other laser regions of the single laser emitting epitaxial structure, and (2) an electrical waveguide configured to provide current to the laser regions.