Methods for photonic integration in non-polar and semi-polar oriented wave-guided optical devices

• US 10,630,050 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2018
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ellen E
• Application Number:
  US16/144,811
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12085 Integrated
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12121 Laser
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/126 using polarisation effects G02B6/1226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/081 comprising three or more reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0202 Cleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0268 Integrated waveguide grating router, e.g. emission of a multi-wavelength laser array is combined by a "dragon router"
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0625 in multi-section lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1003 Waveguide having a modified shape along the axis, e.g. branched, curved, tapered, voids
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/125 Distributed Bragg reflector [DBR] lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3202 grown on specifically orientated substrates, or using orientation dependent growth
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32025 non-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

A laser diode having a surface region configured on either a non-polar or semi-polar orientation. The laser diode also has N waveguide structures each overlying a different portion of the surface region. Each of the N waveguide structures is coupled to at least one immediately adjacent one of the N waveguide structures and extends in a different direction than immediately adjacent ones of the N waveguide structures.

Claims

1. A method for using an apparatus for emitting electromagnetic radiation, the method comprising:

in a laser diode integrated with an optical device, the laser diode comprising;

a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member having a surface region, the surface region having either a non-polar surface orientation or a semi-polar surface orientation;

N waveguide structures each overlying a different portion of the surface region and each characterized by a gain and loss, wherein;

each of the N waveguide structures is coupled to at least one immediately adjacent one of the N waveguide structures;

each of the N waveguide structures extends in a different direction than immediately adjacent ones of the N waveguide structures;

a mirror surface is arranged between each of the N waveguide structures; and

N is at least two;

emitting the electromagnetic radiation from one of the N waveguide structures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the surface region has an m-plane nonpolar surface orientation, and wherein the N waveguide structures are integrally configured to form a continuous waveguide structure, or

the surface region has the semi-polar surface orientation and a plane selected from a (20-21) plane, a (30-31) plane, a (20-2-1) plane, a (30-3-1) plane, or a (11-22) plane, or within +/−

5 degrees toward a c-direction and/or toward an a-direction from the plane, and wherein the N waveguide structures are integrally configured to form a continuous waveguide structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate guided light with a first peak emission wavelength, and a second waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate guided light with a second peak emission wavelength, wherein the first peak emission wavelength is greater than the second peak emission wavelength.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate a first guided emission primarily in a first polarization state, and a second waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate a second guided emission primarily in a second polarization state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirror surface is a total internal reflector mirror.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the N waveguide structures form a laser cavity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirror surface is a photonic crystal turning mirror.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a mirror is defined in a first waveguide of the N waveguide structures and/or in a second waveguide of the N waveguide structures and/or in between the first waveguide and the second waveguide, and wherein the second waveguide is electrically coupled to a power source and is configured to modulate or absorb light propagating in the second waveguide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the N waveguide structures are optically coupled to another one of the N waveguide structures by the mirror surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical device is at least one of a display device, a metrology device, a communications device, a health care or surgery device, or an information technology device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is used in a laser display, metrology, communications, health case, surgery, information technology, or any other application.

11. A method for using an optical device for emitting electromagnetic radiation, the method comprising:

in a laser diode comprising;

a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member having a surface region, the surface region having either a non-polar surface orientation or a semi-polar surface orientation;

N waveguide structures each overlying a different portion of the surface region and each characterized by a gain and loss, wherein;

each of the N waveguide structures is coupled to at least one immediately adjacent one of the N waveguide structures;

each of the N waveguide structures extends in a different direction than immediately adjacent ones of the N waveguide structures;

a mirror surface is arranged between each of the N waveguide structures; and

N is at least two;

emitting the electromagnetic radiation from one of the N waveguide structures.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the surface region has an m-plane nonpolar surface orientation, and wherein the N waveguide structures are integrally configured to form a continuous waveguide structure, or

the surface region has the semi-polar surface orientation and a plane selected from a (20-21) plane, a (30-31) plane, a (20-2-1) plane, a (30-3-1) plane, or a (11-22) plane, or within +/−

5 degrees toward a c-direction and/or toward an a-direction from the plane, and wherein the N waveguide structures are integrally configured to form a continuous waveguide structure.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein a first waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate guided light with a first peak emission wavelength, and a second waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate guided light with a second peak emission wavelength, wherein the first peak emission wavelength is greater than the second peak emission wavelength.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a first waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate a first guided emission primarily in a first polarization state, and a second waveguide of the N waveguide structures is configured to generate a second guided emission primarily in a second polarization state.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the mirror surface is a total internal reflector mirror.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the N waveguide structures form a laser cavity.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the mirror surface is a photonic crystal turning mirror.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein a mirror is defined in a first waveguide of the N waveguide structures and/or in a second waveguide of the N waveguide structures and/or in between the first waveguide and the second waveguide, and wherein the second waveguide is electrically coupled to a power source and is configured to modulate or absorb light propagating in the second waveguide.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the N waveguide structures are optically coupled to another one of the N waveguide structures by the mirror surface.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the optical device is configured to provide at least one of cavity or wavelength tuning, mode hopping, active passive integration, facet passivation, photonic integrated circuits, or dual lasing action.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the optical device is used in a laser display, metrology, communications, health case, surgery, information technology, or any other application.