Organic vertical cavity laser and imaging system

• US 6,947,459 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kurtz, Andrew F., Kahen, Keith B., Kowarz, Marek W., Kruschwitz, Brian E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung (Michael) T
• Application Number:
  US10/304,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20040101008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 372/43, 372/45, 372/39, 372/96
• US Class Current: 372/43.01
• 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 5/041 Optical pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18319 comprising a periodical structure in lateral directions
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18383 with periodic active regions at nodes or maxima of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/36 comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4075 Beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4093 Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129

Abstract

An organic vertical cavity laser light producing device (10) comprises a substrate (20). A plurality of laser emitters (200) emits laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate. Each laser emitter within the plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and the first axis. Each laser emitter comprises a first mirror provided on a top surface of the substrate (20) and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. An organic active region (40) produces laser light (350). A second mirror is provided above the organic active region and is reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. A pumping means excites the plurality of laser emitters.

Claims

1. An organic vertical cavity laser light producing device, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis, each laser emitter comprising;

i) a first mirror provided on a top surface of the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

ii) an organic active region for producing laser light;

iii) a second mirror above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths; and

c) a pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters.

2. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters are arranged to form an array, comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein within a row of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters in an array direction;

and

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence in a cross array direction.

3. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said first lateral mode structure exhibits multi-mode lasing behavior;

and

wherein each of said laser emitters have said second lateral mode structure that exhibits a single mode lasing behavior.

4. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 2 wherein within each of said parallel rows of laser emitters, said laser emitters are arranged in a sequence having a periodic pattern, wherein the length of each of said laser emitters and the gap between each adjacent pair of said laser emitters is repeated along the full extent of a given row.

5. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 4 wherein said periodic pattern is the same for all of said parallel rows of laser emitters.

6. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said laser light emitted by said plurality of laser emitters is arranged to vary within the visible spectrum;

wherein each of said laser emitters provides laser light at a given nominal emission wavelength with an emission spectral bandwidth; and

wherein said nominal emission wavelength is variable within the visible spectrum for said plurality of laser emitters, such that the given nominal emission wavelength for one group of one or more of said laser emitters is different than the given nominal emission wavelength for another group of one or more of said laser emitters.

7. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 6 wherein said laser light emitted by said plurality of laser emitters is arranged to vary within the visible spectrum to provide multiple color output;

and

wherein said plurality of laser emitters are arranged in three groups of laser emitters, the first of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the blue portion of the spectrum, the second of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the green portion of the spectrum, and the third of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the red portion of the spectrum.

8. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 2 said plurality of laser emitters are arranged in three groups of laser emitters to cover the color spectrum, the first of which emits laser light at nominal wavelengths in the blue portion of the spectrum, the second of which emits laser light at nominal wavelengths in the green portion of the spectrum, and the third of which emits laser light at nominal wavelengths in the red portion of the spectrum.

9. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 8 wherein said laser emitters emit laser light at multiple nominal wavelengths within a given color spectrum selected from red, green, or blue spectrum.

10. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 8 wherein each of said groups of laser emitters which cover a portion of the color spectrum comprise one or more rows of laser emitters, wherein all of said laser emitters within a given row of laser emitters, emit laser light within at nominal wavelengths within a given color spectrum.

11. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 10 wherein rows of laser emitters which cover a portion of the color spectrum by emitting laser light at nominal wavelengths within a given color spectrum are arranged in one or more clusters of adjacent rows of laser emitters.

12. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said laser emitters are arranged in groups of phase-locked laser emitters.

13. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 12 wherein said groups of phase-locked laser emitters are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

14. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 3 wherein said laser emitters that are aligned along said second axis and that exhibit single mode lasing behavior are phased locked to emit coherently and produce a super mode.

15. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of laser emitters that comprises said laser emitters, which are arranged in parallel rows of laser emitters, with a periodic pattern of placement of the laser emitters within said rows, where each of said laser emitters provides laser light at a given nominal emission wavelength with an emission spectral bandwidth;

and

wherein said plurality of laser emitters are arranged in three groups of laser emitters, the first of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the blue portion of the spectrum, the second of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the green portion of the spectrum, and the third of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the red portion of the spectrum.

16. An organic cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is an optically transparent dielectric material.

17. An organic cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters utilizes optical pumping, wherein pump light with an appropriate pumping spectrum is directed from a pump light source to back-illuminate and excite said laser emitters.

18. An organic cavity laser according to claim 16 wherein said pump light source is an incoherent light source, such as a xenon arc lamp, a mercury arc lamp, an excimer lamp, a light emitting diode (LED), or an array of light emitting diodes.

19. An organic cavity laser according to claim 18 wherein said first mirror is optically transparent to light from said pumping means.

20. An organic cavity laser according to claim 16 wherein said pump light is directed from said pump light source to back-illuminate said laser emitters by means of appropriate beam shaping and beam condensing optics, including elements selected from the group comprising fly'"'"'s eye integrator, integrating bar, lenslet array, beam expander, illumination field lens and illumination relay lens.

21. An organic cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said pumping means utilizes direct application of electronic drive signals to said laser emitters.

22. An organic cavity laser according to claim 1 wherein said organic cavity laser uses small molecule organic gain materials.

23. An organic vertical cavity laser array comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters, has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis, each laser emitter comprising;

i) a first mirror provided atop the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

ii) an organic active region for producing laser light;

iii) a second mirror provided above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

c) an arrangement of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters to form an array, comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein, within a row of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters that are an array direction;

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence along a cross array direction; and

d) a pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters.

24. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 23 wherein each of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure, along a first axis that is aligned with said array direction, that exhibits multi-mode lasing behavior, and wherein each of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters has a second lateral mode structure, along a second axis that is aligned with said cross array direction, that exhibits a single mode lasing behavior.

25. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 24 wherein within each of said parallel rows of laser emitters, said laser emitters are arranged in a sequence having a periodic pattern, wherein the length of each of said laser emitters and the gap between each adjacent pair of said laser emitters is repeated along the full extent of a given row.

26. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 25 wherein said periodic pattern is the same for all of said parallel rows of laser emitters.

27. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 23 wherein said laser emitters have an extent along said first axis that is nearly the full length of said substrate.

28. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 23 wherein said laser light emitted by said plurality of laser emitters is arranged to vary within the visible spectrum;

wherein each of said laser emitters provides laser light at a given nominal emission wavelength with an emission spectral bandwidth; and

wherein said nominal emission wavelength is variable within the visible spectrum for said plurality of laser emitters, such that the given nominal emission wavelength for one group of one or more of said laser emitters is different than the given nominal emission wavelength for another group of one or more of said laser emitters.

29. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 28 wherein each of said laser emitters provides laser light at a given nominal emission wavelength with an emission spectral bandwidth;

and

wherein said plurality of laser emitters are arranged in three groups of laser emitters, the first of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the blue portion of the spectrum, the second of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the green portion of the spectrum, and the third of which emits light at nominal wavelengths in the red portion of the spectrum.

30. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 29 wherein said laser emitters emit laser light at multiple nominal wavelengths within a given color spectrum selected from red, green or blue spectrum.

31. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 30 wherein each of said groups of laser emitters which cover a portion of the color spectrum comprise one or more rows of laser emitters, where all of said laser emitters within a given row of laser emitters, emit laser light within at nominal wavelengths within a given color spectrum.

32. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 31 wherein rows of laser emitters which cover a portion of the color spectrum by emitting laser light at nominal wavelengths within a given color spectrum, are arranged in one or more clusters of adjacent rows of laser emitters.

33. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 23 wherein said laser emitters are arranged in groups of phase-locked laser emitters.

34. An organic vertical cavity laser according to claim 33 wherein said groups of phase-locked laser emitters are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

35. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 24 wherein a group of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters that are along a second axis that is aligned with said cross array direction, and exhibit single mode lasing behavior are phase-locked so as to emit coherently and produce a super mode.

36. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 23 wherein said laser array is multimode in both directions, with many fewer modes in the second axis direction than in the first axis direction.

37. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 23 wherein said organic laser array uses small molecule organic gain materials.

38. An organic vertical cavity laser array comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters, has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction that corresponds to multi-mode lasing behavior and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis that corresponds to single mode lasing behavior, each laser emitter comprising;

i) a first mirror provided atop the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

ii) an organic active region for producing laser light;

iii) a second mirror provided above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

c) an arrangement of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters to form an array, comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein, within a row of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters that are an array direction;

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence that is a cross array direction; and

d) a pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters.

39. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein a group of said laser emitters aligned to said second axis that operate with single mode lasing behavior are phase-locked to emit coherently, thereby providing a super-mode.

40. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said laser array is multimode in both directions, with many fewer modes in the second axis direction than in the first axis direction.

41. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said emitters emit light at nominal wavelengths in each of the primary colors.

42. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said emitters are arranged in rows by the wavelength of light emitted.

43. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 42 wherein said rows emitting light of a specific wavelength respectively are arranged in groups.

44. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said laser array has laser emitters in an array direction that extend a full length of the substrate.

45. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said laser array has parallel rows of emitters where the rows have a variable structure, including offsets, different emitter lengths, different emitter pitches.

46. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said substrate is a transparent dielectric substrate.

47. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 46 wherein said optical pumping means provides backlit illumination through the transparent substrate.

48. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 46 wherein said incident optical pump light is uniform.

49. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 47 wherein said optical pumping means is incoherent.

50. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said pumping means is a arc lamp, an excimer lamp, an LED, or an LED array.

51. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said organic laser array uses small molecule organic gain materials.

52. An organic vertical cavity laser array according to claim 38 wherein said laser array emits polarized light.

53. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array comprising:

a) a pump light source for emitting pump light;

b) optical means, comprising illumination beam shaping optics, for preparing said pump light to illuminate an organic vertical cavity laser array;

c) an organic vertical cavity laser array comprising;

i) a substrate;

ii) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters, has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis, each laser emitter comprising;

c1) a first mirror provided atop the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

c2) an organic active region for producing laser light;

c3) a second mirror provided above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths; and

iii) an arrangement of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein, within at least one of said rows of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters in an array direction; and

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence in a cross array direction.

54. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said first lateral mode structure is multi-mode and said second lateral mode structure is single mode.

55. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said laser emitters are arranged in groups of phase-locked laser emitters.

56. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 55 wherein said groups of phase-locked laser emitters are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

57. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said pump light incident to said laser array is uniform.

58. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said pump light source is a xenon arc lamp, a mercury arc lamp, an excimer lamp, or a LED.

59. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said pump light source is an LED array.

60. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein an LED array illuminates said laser array directly, without beam shaping optics.

61. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said pump light source is a laser.

62. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said illumination beam shaping optics are a condensing and relay optical system.

63. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein such illumination beam shaping optics include an optical diffuser.

64. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 59 wherein illumination beam shaping optics include a lenslet array and a combiner lens.

65. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 59 wherein illumination beam shaping optics include a fly'"'"'s eye integrator.

66. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 59 wherein illumination beam shaping optics include an integrating bar.

67. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein illumination beam shaping optics include a light homogenization system, such as a fly'"'"'s eye or an integrating bar.

68. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein illumination beams shaping optics are anamorphic.

69. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said illumination system includes a spectral filter for removing undesirable wavelengths from the spectrum of the pump light source.

70. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein illumination beam shaping optics for said pump source include beam expanding optics.

71. An illumination system utilizing an organic laser array according to claim 53 wherein said pump light source includes means to control the drive signals across an LED array to adjust a light profile to control uniformity.

72. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array comprising:

a) an organic vertical cavity laser comprising;

i) a substrate;

ii) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis, each laser emitter comprising;

a1) a first mirror provided atop the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a2) an organic active region for producing laser light;

a3) a second mirror provided above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a4) an arrangement of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters to form an array, comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein, within a row of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters in an array direction;

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence in a cross array direction;

b) a pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters;

c) optical means, comprising laser beam shaping optics for preparing laser light from said organic vertical cavity laser to illuminate a linear spatial light modulator array; and

d) wherein said linear spatial light modulator array comprises an arrangement of individually addressed modulator pixels, each of which alter incident laser light in accordance with applied drive signals specific to each of said pixels.

73. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said first lateral mode structure is multi-mode and said second lateral mode structure is single mode.

74. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said laser emitters are arranged in groups of phase-locked laser emitters.

75. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 74 wherein said groups of phase-locked laser emitters are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

76. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said laser array is multimode in both directions, with many fewer modes in the second axis direction than in the first axis direction.

77. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said laser array is single mode in the second axis direction, and multi-mode in the first axis direction, and the emitters extend nearly the full length of the array in the first axis direction.

78. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said organic laser array has multiple nominal laser emission wavelengths spanning the visible spectrum.

79. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said pumping means is optical and said substrate is transparent.

80. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said optical pumping means uses an incoherent pump light source.

81. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 80 wherein said pump light from said incoherent pump light source includes illumination beam shaping optics.

82. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 81 wherein said illumination beam shaping optics comprise fly'"'"'s eye integrators.

83. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 81 wherein said illumination beam shaping optics are anamorphic.

84. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said linear spatial light modulator array is transmissive.

85. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said linear spatial light modulator is a micro-mechanical mirror device with pixels.

86. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said linear spatial light modulator array is reflective.

87. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said reflective linear spatial light modulator array is a grating light valve or conformal grating device.

88. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said laser beam shaping optics image said organic laser array onto said linear spatial light modulator array.

89. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 88 wherein said beam shaping optics comprise a combiner lenslet array for collecting light from said organic laser array and a combiner lens for imaging said laser emitters in an overlapping fashion to a common focus.

90. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array wherein said beam shaping optics according to claim 88 are anamorphic.

91. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said modulation optical system includes a spectral filter located after said organic laser array for removing pump source light that has leaked through said organic laser array.

92. A modulation optical system with an organic laser array according to claim 72 wherein said modulation optical system permits the pumping means to be locally addressed, so that the incident light profile onto said organic laser array is adjusted, thereby providing a means to adjust the incident light profile incident on said linear spatial light modulator array, to correct for a non-uniform response of said modulator array.

93. A modulation optical system according to claim 72 which is a color sequential modulation optical system:

a) wherein said laser emitters are grouped, so that one or more groups output light in the blue portion of the visible spectrum, one or more groups emit light in the red portion of the visible spectrum, and one or more groups emit light in the green portion of the visible spectrum;

b) wherein said pumping means is optical and utilizes a pump light source providing pump light;

c) wherein an illumination modulator array is provided in an optical path traversed by said pump light, but prior to said organic laser array;

d) wherein pixels of said illumination modulator array are addressed and can be controlled in accordance with applied drive signals; and

e) wherein groups of said pixels correspond to groups of said laser emitters of a respective color, and modulation of the groups can be cycled through to provide color sequential modulation.

94. A modulation optical system according to claim 93 wherein said illumination modulator is a transmissive liquid crystal display (LCD).

95. A modulation optical system according to claim 93 wherein said modulation optical system employs three organic laser arrays, one per color to comprise color channels, where the color beams are combined via a wavelength sensitive combining optic to illuminate said linear spatial light modulator.

96. A modulation optical system according to claim 93 wherein said modulation optical system has either one laser array with three primary colors or three laser arrays, each for a given color, combined to provide white laser light illumination of the linear spatial light modulator (SLM), and the SLM modulates the white laser light.

97. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array comprising:

a) one or more organic vertical cavity lasers, each comprising;

i) a substrate;

ii) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters, has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis, each laser emitter comprising;

a1) a first mirror provided on atop the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a2) an organic active region for producing laser light;

a3) a second mirror provided above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a4) an arrangement of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters to form an array, comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein, within a row of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters in an array direction;

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence in a cross array direction;

b) a pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters;

c) optical means, comprising laser beam shaping optics for preparing laser light to illuminate a linear spatial light modulator array;

which comprises modulator pixels that are individually addressed with applied drive signals bearing data; and

d) imaging optics to re-image the linear spatial light modulator array onto a target plane.

98. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said electronic imaging system is a printing system with a light sensitive media located at the target plane.

99. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said first lateral mode structure is multi-mode and said second lateral mode structure is single mode.

100. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said organic laser array providing light over a predetermined range of wavelengths are providing primary color visible light.

101. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said laser emitters are arranged in rows.

102. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said rows of laser emitters are arranged in groups.

103. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said groups of rows are controlled or addressed so that they can be driven color sequentially, to provide a color sequential system.

104. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said pump means is optical.

105. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said electronic imaging system employs three organic laser arrays, one per color arranged in color channels.

106. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 105 wherein said color channels has multiple nominal lasing wavelengths within each color band.

107. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 105 has light from three color laser array brought together into one beam via a color sensitive combiner onto a single spatial light modulator (SLM), which is then imaged to said target plane.

108. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 105 wherein:

color channels which each include an SLM and beam shaping optics to focus light onto said SLM;

a combining dichroic optic to combine the three color channels onto a common optical path; and

an imaging lens to project an overlapped three color linear image onto a target plane.

109. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 108 includes a scanner, such as a galvanometer or a polygon which sweeps the three color linear image across the target plane to form a 2D image.

110. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 109 has a screen at the target plane.

111. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 109 has a light sensitive at the target plane.

112. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 108 is moved in relation to a target plane, and a rotating drum resides at said target plane, bearing a light sensitive media, such that combined movement of the system and the rotation of the drum allows printing of a 2D image.

113. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 98 is moved in relation to a target plane, and a rotating drum resides at said target plane, bearing a light sensitive media, such that combined movement of the system and the rotation of the drum allows printing of a 2D image.

114. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 113 wherein said first lateral mode structure is single mode and said second lateral mode structure is multimode.

115. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 113 utilizes an organic laser array that has a single color.

116. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 113 utilize an organic laser array that is three color, with said three colors driven sequentially.

117. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 further comprising focusing optics to overlap.

118. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said laser beam shaping optics comprises focusing and homogenization optics.

119. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array according to claim 97 wherein said laser array is multimode in both directions, with many fewer modes in the second axis direction than in the first axis direction.

120. An electronic imaging system with an organic laser array comprising:

a) one or more organic vertical cavity lasers, each comprising;

i) a substrate;

ii) a plurality of laser emitters emitting laser light in a direction orthogonal to the substrate, wherein each laser emitter within said plurality of laser emitters, has a first lateral mode structure in a first axis orthogonal to the laser light direction and has a second lateral mode structure in a second axis orthogonal to both the laser light direction and said first axis, each laser emitter comprising;

a1) a first mirror provided atop the substrate and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a2) an organic active region for producing laser light;

a3) a second mirror provided above the organic active region and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a4) an arrangement of said laser emitters within said plurality of laser emitters to form an array, comprising one or more parallel rows of laser emitters, wherein, within a row of laser emitters, a series of said laser emitters are arranged in sequence to form a line of laser emitters that are an array direction;

wherein said parallel rows of laser emitters are arranged in a sequence that is a cross array direction;

b) a pumping means that excites said plurality of laser emitters;

c) optical means, comprising laser beam shaping optics for preparing laser light to illuminate a tri-linear spatial light modulator array;

which comprises three parallel rows of modulator pixels that are individually addressed with applied drive signals bearing data; and

d) imaging optics to re-image the tri-linear spatial light modulator array onto a target plane.

121. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said organic laser array has lasers clustered in groups of rows of lasers, where there are three groups, respectively being the red, green, blue (RGB) color channels, and the color channel groups are respectively imaged onto a row of pixels of said tri-linear spatial light modulator array.

122. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said laser beam shaping optics comprise a combiner field lenslet array.

123. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said pumping means is optical.

124. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said optical pumping means is an LED array.

125. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said first lateral mode structure is single mode and said second lateral mode structure is multi-mode.

126. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said laser array has a supermode.

127. An electronic imaging system according to claim 120 wherein said laser array is multimode in both directions, with many fewer modes in the second axis direction than in the first axis direction.