Optical communication with vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser operating in multiple transverse modes

• US 5,359,447 A
• Filed: 06/25/1993
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tan, Michael R. T., Wang, Shih-Yuan, Hahn, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEGASH, KINFE MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/083,739
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 359/154, 359/161, 359/173, 359/180, 359/188, 359/195, 372/38, 372/45
• US Class Current: 398/201
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18305 with emission through the substrate, i.e. bottom emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18308 having a special structure for lateral current or light confinement
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18375 based on metal reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18377 comprising layers of different kind of materials, e.g. combinations of semiconducting with dielectric or metallic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2063 obtained by particle bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2581 Multimode transmission

Abstract

An optical communication system using a relatively large-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The laser has an opening larger than about eight micrometers and is coupled to a multimode optical fiber. The laser is driven into multiple transverse mode operation, which includes multiple filamentation as well as operation in a single cavity.

Claims

1. An optical communication network comprising:

a vertical-cavity, surface-emitting semiconductor laser structure having an aperture larger than eight micrometers through which an optical signal may be emitted;

a power supply that provides a bias current to drive the laser into a multiple transverse mode of Operation in which the laser is responsive to a signal carrying data to provide an optical signal modulated with the data and to emit the optical signal through the aperture; and

a multimode Optical medium optically coupled to the laser to carry the optical signal from the laser to a remotely-located receiver.

2. A network as in claim 1 and further comprising a receiver, optically coupled to the optical medium, that receives the modulated optical signal and recovers the data therefrom.

3. A network as in claim 1 wherein the multiple transverse mode of operation comprises more than two distinct transverse modes.

4. A network as in claim 1 wherein the multiple transverse mode of operation comprises multiple filamentation.

5. A network as in claim 1 wherein the multi-mode optical medium comprises an optical fiber.

6. A network as in claim 1 wherein the multi-mode optical medium comprises an optical waveguide.