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.

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diode includes: a first resonator that has a plurality of semiconductor layers comprising a first current narrowing structure having a first conductive region and a first non-conductor region; a first electrode that supplies electric power to drive the first resonator; a second resonator that has a plurality of semiconductor layers comprising a second current narrowing structure having a second conductive region and a second non-conductive region and that is formed side by side with the first resonator, the second current narrowing structure being formed in same current narrowing layer as the layer where the first current narrowing structure is formed; and a coupling portion as defined herein; and an equivalent refractive index of the coupling portion is smaller than an equivalent refractive index of each of the first resonator and the second resonator.

A method of fabricating at least one radiation emitter including fabricating a layer stack that includes a first reflector, an active region, an oxidizable layer, and a second reflector; and locally removing the layer stack, and thereby forming at least one mesa. The mesa includes the first reflector, the active region, the oxidizable layer and the second reflector. Before or after locally removing the layer stack and forming the mesa the following steps are carried out: vertically etching at least three blind holes inside the layer stack, wherein the blind holes vertically extend to and expose the oxidizable layer; and oxidizing the oxidizable layer via the sidewalls of the blind holes in lateral direction. An oxidation front radially moves outwards from each hole. The etching is terminated before the entire oxidizable layer is oxidized, thereby forming at least one unoxidized aperture that is limited by at least three oxidation fronts.

The invention describes a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser and a method of manufacturing such a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser. The Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser comprising a first electrical contact (105, 405, 505, 605, 705), a substrate (110, 410, 610, 710), a first distributed Bragg reflector (115, 415, 615, 715), an active layer (120, 420, 620, 720), a distributed heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (125, 425, 625, 725), a second distributed Bragg reflector (130, 430, 630, 730) and a second electrical contact (135, 435, 535, 635, 735), the distributed heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (125, 425, 625, 725) comprising a collector layer (125a), a light sensitive layer (125c), a base layer (125e) and an emitter layer (125f), wherein the distributed heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (125, 425, 625, 725) is arranged such that there is an optical coupling between the active layer (120, 420, 620, 720) and the distributed heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (125, 425, 625, 725) for providing an active carrier confinement by means of the distributed heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (125, 425, 625, 725) such that an optical mode of the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser is self-positioning in accordance with the active carrier confinement during operation of the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser. It is the intention of the present invention to provide a VCSEL which can be easily and reliably processed by integrating the distributed heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (125, 425, 625, 725).

A miniature illuminator is described which is suitable for assembly into mobile electronics devices such as cell phones and computer tablets. Features of the invention overcome the complexity of current miniature illuminators by using single molded structure which includes all the electrical feedthrough connections and has the features necessary for accurate mounting of optical components. The molded structure includes laser safety connections which provide an electrical interrupt signal when the illuminator is damaged in a way that could result in propagation of non-eye safe illuminator beams. In an alternate operation the illuminator provides a signal when a subject gets too close to the illuminator and would receive unsafe VCSEL illuminator beam. The laser safety feature is integrated into the molded Illuminator package so that separate electrically connected structures to achieve this function are eliminated.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes: a substrate; a first mirror layer; an active layer; a second mirror layer; a current constriction layer; a first area connected to the first mirror layer and including a plurality of oxide layers; and a second area connected to the second mirror layer and including a plurality of oxide layers. The first mirror layer, the active layer, the second mirror layer, the current constriction layer, the first area, and the second area configure a laminated body. The laminated body includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion. When a width of the oxide area is W1 and a width of an upper surface of the first portion is W2, W2/W1≦3.3.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a first distributed Bragg reflector, a second distributed Bragg reflector, an active region with an oxide aperture between the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors, and a dielectric layer, where a positioning of the dielectric layer with respect to the first and second distributed Bragg reflectors and the oxide aperture causes suppression of higher modes of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) may include a substrate and a set of epitaxial layers on the substrate. The set of epitaxial layers may include a first mirror and a second mirror, an active region between the first mirror and the second mirror, and an oxidation layer to provide optical and electrical confinement in the VCSEL. The oxidation layer may be near the first mirror. The set of epitaxial layers may include an oxide lens to control a characteristic of an output beam emitted by the VCSEL. The oxide lens may be separate from the oxidation layer, and may be a lens that is separate from the first mirror and from the second mirror.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes a substrate that has a main surface including a first area and a second area, a post that is provided on or above the first area, and that includes a first-conductive first distributed Bragg reflector provided on or above the first area, an active layer provided on the first distributed Bragg reflector, and a second-conductive second distributed Bragg reflector provided on the active layer, a stack that is provided on or above the main surface, and that includes an upper surface having at least one recess portion disposed above the second area, a resin portion that is disposed in the at least one recess portion, and an electrode pad that is provided on the resin portion and that is electrically connected to either one of the first distributed Bragg reflector and the second distributed Bragg reflector.

An optical device may include an array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) having a design wavelength, each VCSEL having an emission area. The optical device may include a first metal layer, substantially covering the array, a second metal layer substantially covering the first metal layer, and an electrical isolation layer, between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, that includes vias for electrically connecting portions of the first metal layer and portions of the second metal layer. The optical device may include a dielectric disposed over the emission area of each VCSEL. A variation in a thickness of the dielectric across at least approximately 90% of an area of the dielectric may be less than approximately 2% of the design wavelength. A depth of a well around the emission area may be equal to at least approximately 10% of a width of the emission area.