Method and apparatus for polarizing light in a VCSEL
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
disposing a first reflector on the substrate;
disposing an active region on the first reflector;
disposing a second reflector on the active region such that the active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector; and
forming a polarizer inside the second reflector, wherein the polarizer comprises parallel stripes of material doped differently than that of the second reflector, wherein the polarizer polarizes light generated from the active region.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a VCSEL and method of fabricating same. First, a substrate is provided. Then, a first reflector is disposed (where “disposed” includes being deposited or epitaxially grown) on the substrate, which is followed by an active region being disposed on the first reflector. Then, a second reflector is disposed on the active region such that the active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector. Then, a polarizer is formed inside, or on the top or bottom of, the second reflector. The polarizer contains parallel stripes of material doped differently than that of the second reflector. The polarizer polarizes the light generated from the active region.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a substrate;
disposing a first reflector on the substrate;
disposing an active region on the first reflector;
disposing a second reflector on the active region such that the active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector; and
forming a polarizer inside the second reflector, wherein the polarizer comprises parallel stripes of material doped differently than that of the second reflector, wherein the polarizer polarizes light generated from the active region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
growing a first layer of a first doped material on the active region;
growing a second layer of a second doped material on the first layer;
growing a third layer of the first doped material on the second layer;
etching one or more grooves through the second and third layers into the first layer; and
covering the etched grooves with the first doped material so as to form parallel stripes with the second layer.
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14. A VCSEL comprising:
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a substrate;
a first reflector disposed on the substrate;
an active region disposed on the first reflector; and
a second reflector disposed on the active region such that the active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector, wherein the second reflector comprises a polarizer for polarizing light generated from the active region, wherein the polarizer comprises parallel stripes of material doped differently than that of the second reflector. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method fabricating a polarizer for polarizing light in a VCSEL having a substrate, a first reflector disposed on the substrate, an active region disposed on the first reflector, and a second reflector disposed on the active region such that the active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector, the method comprising the steps of:
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growing a first layer of a first doped material on the active region;
growing a second layer of a second doped material on the first layer;
growing a third layer of the first doped material on the second layer;
etching one or more grooves through the second and third layers into the first layer; and
covering the etched grooves with the first doped material so as to form parallel stripes with the second layer, whereby the polarizer imposes relatively more loss for light having an E field vector parallel to the stripes than for light not having an E field vector parallel to the stripes. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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27. A method for fabricating a polarizer, the method comprising:
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growing a first semiconductor layer of a first doped material;
growing a second semiconductor layer of a second doped material on the first semiconductor layer;
growing a third semiconductor layer of the first doped material on the second semiconductor layer;
etching one or more grooves through the second and third semiconductor layers into the first semiconductor layer; and
covering the etched grooves with the first doped material so as to form parallel stripes with the second semiconductor layer, wherein the polarizer imposes relatively more loss for light having an E field vector parallel to the stripes than for light not having an E field vector parallel to the stripes. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A polarizer comprising:
a semiconductor layer having parallel stripes of material doped differently than that of the semiconductor layer, wherein the stripes are composed of the same material as the semiconductor layer, wherein the polarizer imposes relatively more loss for light having an E field vector parallel to the stripes than for light not having an E field vector parallel to the stripes.
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33. A method for polarizing light in a VCSEL having a substrate, a first reflector disposed on the substrate, an active region disposed on the first reflector, and a second reflector disposed on the active region such that the active region is interposed between the first reflector and the second reflector, the method comprising:
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generating light in the active region of the VCSEL; and
subjecting the light to a polarizer fabricated inside the second reflector, wherein the polarizer comprises parallel stripes of material doped differently than that of the second reflector. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification