Laser device and method for its operation
11050219 · 2021-06-29
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
H01S5/026
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/0656
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/141
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/185
ELECTRICITY
H01S2301/18
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/34
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H01S5/026
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/34
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/18
ELECTRICITY
H01S5/065
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
A laser device has a photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL) element. At a first lateral side of the PCSEL element, a reflector is arranged to reflect back into the PCSEL element at least a portion of light travelling out of the PCSEL element through the first lateral side of the PCSEL element. Between the first lateral side of the PCSEL element and the reflector there is interposed an electrically controllable light-transmission region configured to control the transmission of light from the PCSEL element to the reflector, based on an electrical input. Also disclosed is a method of operation of a corresponding laser device.
Claims
1. A laser device having: a photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL) element, there being provided at least at a first lateral side of the PCSEL element a reflector arranged to reflect back into the PCSEL element at least a portion of light travelling out of the PCSEL element through the first lateral side of the PCSEL element, there being interposed between the first lateral side of the PCSEL element and the reflector an electrically controllable light-transmission region configured to control the transmission of light from the PCSEL element to the reflector, based on an electrical input, and wherein the PCSEL element comprises an active layer and a photonic crystal layer, wherein the photonic crystal layer comprises a two dimensional periodic lattice structure formed in-plane within the photonic crystal layer, there further being provided at a second lateral side of the PCSEL element a second reflector arranged to reflect back into the PCSEL element at least a portion of light travelling out of the PCSEL element through the second lateral side of the PCSEL element.
2. The laser device of claim 1, wherein the reflector is a wavelength-selective reflector.
3. The laser device of claim 1, wherein the electrically controllable light-transmission region is switchable by the electrical input between a transmission state in which all light is transmitted through it to be reflected by a corresponding reflector, and an extinction state in which no light is transmitted through it, thereby controlling the transmission of light from the PCSEL element to the reflector.
4. The laser device of claim 1, there being interposed between the second lateral side of the PCSEL element and the second reflector, a second electrically controllable light-transmission region configured to control the transmission of light from the PCSEL element to the second reflector, based on an electrical input.
5. The laser device of claim 4, wherein each electrically controllable light-transmission region is independently controlled by a respective electrical input.
6. The laser device of claim 1, wherein the first and second lateral sides are adjacent to each other.
7. The laser device of claim 1, wherein respective reflectors are provided at first, second, third and fourth lateral sides of the PCSEL element, each respectively arranged to reflect back into the PCSEL element at least a portion of the light travelling out of the PCSEL element through the respective lateral sides of the PCSEL element.
8. The laser device of claim 7, wherein a respective electrically controllable light-transmission region is interposed between each respective reflector and lateral side of the laser device.
9. The laser device of claim 1, wherein at least one electrically controllable light-transmission region is split into at least two segments, each segment configured to control the transmission of a respective portion of light from the PCSEL element to the reflector.
10. The laser device of claim 9, wherein each segment is individually controlled by a respective electrical input.
11. A method for operating a laser device, the laser device having a photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL) element, the method including the step of controlling the reflection of light, travelling out of the PCSEL element through a first lateral side of the PCSEL element, back into the PCSEL element, by causing an electrical input to control the transmission of light through a light-transmission region interposed between the first lateral side of the PCSEL element and a reflector, wherein the PCSEL element comprises an active layer and an photonic crystal layer, wherein the photonic crystal layer comprises a two dimensional periodic lattice structure formed in-plane within the photonic crystal layer, there further being provided at a second lateral side of the PCSEL element a second reflector arranged to reflect back into the PCSEL element at least a portion of light travelling out of the PCSEL element through the second lateral side of the PCSEL element.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS, AND FURTHER OPTIONAL FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
(16) PCSELs have been shown to give continuous wave operation at room temperature [1], [2]. By controlling the design, i.e. periodic structure, of the photonic crystal layer in a PCSEL, it is possible to control lasing properties such as beam shape [3] and polarisation [4]. It is also possible to achieve beam steering in this way [5]. PCSELs can be fabricated through wafer fusion [2], or by epitaxial growth [6], [7], [8], [9], [10].
(17) By fabricating arrays of individual PCSEL elements, high lasing power outputs have been achieved [6], [11], [12], [13]. Changes to the photonic crystal layer in particular have been used to increase lasing power output [14]. The highest power output achieved from a single PCSEL element do date was achieved using epitaxial growth, and a controlled photonic crystal design [6].
(18) Gelletta et al. (2015) [15] investigated the effect of external reflection from a single lateral side of a PCSEL element on the lasing properties of a PCSEL. By varying the phase of the external reflector, they were able to show changes to threshold gain (lasing threshold), and to band frequency. The change to the lasing threshold was dependent on the phase of the reflection surface, and the nature of the change was different for the different resonant frequency modes of the photonic crystal in the PCSEL. There was no investigation into the effect that varying the phase of the reflection surface across the photonic crystal region would have. The work reported in Gelletta et al. (2015) [15] was not based on experimental measurement but instead was based on modelling and analysis.
(19) Chassagneux et al. (2009) [16] showed that including facets (reflection surfaces) at a lateral side of a THz PCSEL with a hexagonal photonic crystal lattice allowed whispering gallery frequency modes and frequency modes, or frequency modes of the photonic crystal, to be alternately selected.
(20) As discussed in more detail below, the present inventors have found that by including a reflection surface to the edge of a PCSEL element, lasing threshold and far-field beam shape of the PCSEL element can be changed. The refection surface can be considered as having a random phase with respect to the photonic crystal layer. The reflection phase varies across the PCSEL element.
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(22) The PCSEL element of
(23) The active layer may contain quantum wells and/or quantum dots. For example, it may contain one or more of InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells, InAs/GaAs quantum dots, GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells, and AlInGaAsP quantum wells. The active layer may be an undoped GaAs/InGaAs triple quantum well core containing 38 nm InGaAs quantum wells with 20 nm GaAs barriers.
(24) The photonic crystal is formed by patterning the InGaP layer with periodic regions having a second refractive index which is different from the first refractive index of the InGaP, thus forming the periodic lattice structure of the photonic crystal. The patterning is done using electron beam lithography (EBL). In particular, holes are patterned in a SiO.sub.2 hard mask, and the pattern is transferred into the InGaP by CH.sub.4/H.sub.2/O.sub.2 reactive ion etching (RIE). The regions having the second refractive index InGaP may be left as air gaps/voids, or can alternatively be filled by overgrowth with a suitable filler material having a second refractive index, such as GaAs.
(25) The photonic crystal has a footprint size in the plane of the PCSEL element of 150 μm×150 μm. As will be understood, different embodiments may use different dimensions.
(26) The photonic crystal may alternatively, or additionally, comprise one or more of AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInAsP, AlInGaAs, and AlInGaN.
(27) An SEM image of the periodic lattice 300 of the photonic crystal of the PCSEL element is shown in
(28) This type of photonic crystal is found to be of particular use for generating high lasing power outputs. As the skilled person will understand, other photonic crystal structures as are known in the art could equally be used. For example, the regions having the second refractive index may have square, circular, or other shapes, and may be collectively arranged in a square, hexagonal, or other lattice arrangement.
(29) The PCSEL element having the above structure has been shown to operate at room temperature under continuous wave condition.
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(32) In the PCSEL described above, A and B lasing modes were observed in practice.
(33) The periodic lattice causes Bragg diffraction of light travelling in the photonic crystal to occur. This Bragg diffraction in turn causes light of a specific frequency to resonate, and hence become amplified, in the photonic crystal. Resonance occurs when the group velocity of light propagating in the photonic crystal approaches zero. The frequency at which light resonates in the crystal will depend on the periodicity/lattice constant of the photonic crystal. This resonant frequency will be the lasing frequency of the PCSEL element.
(34) When a voltage is applied across the PCSEL element, the active layer will emit light. This light enters the photonic crystal, and resonates at a given frequency as discussed above to produce laser light. This laser light is then extracted through the emission surface of the PCSEL element (upper cladding layer 110).
(35) Not all light produced by the laser will be extracted through the laser emission surface. Some light travelling in the plane of the PCSEL element will be transmitted through the lateral sides of the PCSEL element.
(36) The inventors have found that by reflecting light back into a PCSEL element from a lateral side of the PCSEL element, thereby changing the feedback inside the PCSEL element, the lasing power and beam shape of the PCSEL element can be changed.
(37) To demonstrate this effect, the inventors used a PCSEL element having a 1.5 μm Al.sub.0.4Ga.sub.0.6As lower cladding layer, 3 μm quantum well active region (8 nm In.sub.0.2Ga.sub.0.8As quantum wells separated by 20 nm GaAs layers), 40 nm p-In.sub.0.48Ga.sub.0.52 etch stop layer, 150 nm In.sub.0.48Ga.sub.0.52P photonic crystal layer (patterned using EBL, with GaAs used to fill the holes in the photonic crystal), 1.5 μm p-Al.sub.0.4Ga.sub.0.6As upper cladding layer, and a 400 nm p.sup.+GaAs cap layer. The photonic crystal has the same lattice structure as is shown in
(38) The lasing power, beam shape and emission spectra were first measured for the pristine PCSEL element (i.e. without any reflection surfaces). Next, the substrate on which the PCSEL element was grown was cleaved along a first lateral side of the PCSEL element, so as to introduce a first reflection surface at the first lateral side of the PCSEL element. Lasing power and far-field beam shape were measured. Then, the substrate was cleaved along a second lateral side of the PCSEL element, adjacent to the first lateral side, so as to introduce a second reflection surface adjacent to the first reflection surface of the PCSEL element. Lasing power and far-field beam shape were measured again. The results are shown in
(39) The inventors found that adding at least one reflection surface resulted in a single lasing mode (A or B) being selected.
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(41) The lasing power of the PCSEL element with a single reflection surface was then measured from 0-200 mA. As can be seen from the graph of
(42) The lasing power of the PCSEL element with two reflection surfaces was then measured from 0-200 mA. As can be seen from the graph of
(43) The experimental results of
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(46) In
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(50) Hence, the addition of a single reflection surface at a lateral side of the PCSEL element creates a beam with an oval shape. The addition of two reflection surfaces, at adjacent lateral sides of the PCSEL element, has the effect of reducing the angular spread of the beam when compared with the PCSEL element with no reflection surfaces.
(51) Based on the above findings, the inventors have developed a laser device in which lasing power and beam shape can be changed electronically. Such a laser device is shown in
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(56) The laser device 500 of
(57) Each DBR reflector 506 is configured to reflect light which is incident upon it and travelling in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the PCSEL element 502. The DBR reflectors exist in the plane of the PCSEL element. In this way, light travelling out of the PCSEL element 502 can be reflected back into the PCSEL element 502 by a DBR reflector 506, thereby altering the feedback within the PCSEL element.
(58) The optical properties of each controllable light-transmission region 504 are controllable by an electrical input. In particular, by controlling a current supplied to a given controllable light-transmission region 504, the optical properties of the controllable light-transmission region 504 can be controlled. In particular, the optical properties of the controllable light-transmission region can be controlled to be anywhere between a transmission state, in which substantially all light is transmitted, and an extinction state, in which substantially no light is transmitted. Preferably, it is switched between the transmission and extinction states. Moreover, the controllable light-transmission region is controlled by passing a current through it. When this current exceeds a threshold value, the contact is essentially transparent, allowing light to pass through it. This is the transmission state. When the current is below the threshold value, the contact no longer allows light to pass through it. This is the extinction state.
(59) When controlled to be in the transmission state, the controllable light-transmission region 504 will transmit light travelling out of the PCSEL element 502 in the plane of the PCSEL element. This light will then be reflected by the corresponding DBR reflector 506, and back into the PCSEL element 502. Conversely, when the controllable light-transmission region is controlled to be in the extinction state, light will not be reflected back into the PCSEL element 502. Accordingly, the feedback from each lateral side of the PCSEL element can be electronically controlled.
(60) As has been shown in relation to
(61) For example, by controlling the controllable light-transmission regions 504 so a first controllable light-transmission region is in a transmission state and the other three are in an extinction state, the lasing threshold can be reduced, and the lasing power at a given operating current above the lasing threshold can be increased. Furthermore, the beam can be made to have an oval shape. By controlling two adjacent controllable light-transmission regions 504 to be in the transmission state, and controlling the other two to be in the extinction state, the laser beam from the laser device 500 can be concentrated.
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(63) The controllable light-transmission regions 504 have the same layered structure as the PCSEL element. Accordingly, the controllable light-transmission regions 504 have substantially the same refractive index as the PCSEL element 502, thereby preventing reflection from occurring at the interface between the PCSEL element 502 and the controllable light-transmission regions 504. However, the InGaP layer of the controllable light-transmission regions 504 (corresponding to the photonic crystal layer 108 of the PCSEL element) is not patterned with periodic regions having a different refractive index from the InGaP. This layer is therefore not a photonic crystal in the controllable light-transmission regions 504. The controllable light-transmission regions 504 have their own electrodes 600, which are electrically isolated from the PCSEL element electrodes 114.
(64) As such, the controllable light-transmission regions 504 can be controlled electronically, independently of each other, and independently of the PCSEL element 114.
(65) The PCSEL element 502, controllable light-transmission regions 504 and DBR reflector 506 all exist in the same plane, so as to selectively reflect light travelling out of the PCSEL element in the plane of the laser device, based on a current supplied to the optically tunable region(s) 504.
(66) In some embodiments, several laser devices may be grown on a single substrate. This substrate will then be cleaved after the fabrication process, thereby providing a plurality of individual laser devices, each laser device containing a single PCSEL element.
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(68) This ability to fine-tune the feedback at each lateral side can enable the emission intensity of the laser device to be fine-tuned, with a higher level of control than by uniformly controlling feedback from an entire lateral side, as in the embodiment of
(69) Furthermore, by spatially modulating the feedback from each lateral side, the beam shape can more accurately be controlled. Hence, segmented electrodes can be used to steer the laser beam, as well as adjust its shape and angular divergence.
(70) The beam steering effect is illustrated in
(71) By individually controlling the segments 804, the laser output of the PCSEL device 800 can be centred at different positions in the plane of the photonic crystal.
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(73) The inventors have also found that this fine-tuning of the lasing output can be used to compensate for variations in device performance brought about by manufacturing issues for each individual PCSEL element. For example, deleterious effects on the lasing output caused by inaccuracies in the photonic crystal structure, heatsinking, and other manufacturing issues, can be compensated for by fine-tuning the feedback using the segmented contacts, e.g. to achieve higher single mode lasing power outputs.
(74) While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
(75) All references referred to above and/or listed below are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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