Resonator-enhanced optoelectronic devices and methods of making same

• US 9,019,595 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VerLASE Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: VerLASE Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Jain, Ajaykumar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/114,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 357/88, 357/89, 372/39, 372/96, 372/50.1, 359/344
• US Class Current: 359/344
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/207 comprising semiconducting materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02327 the optical elements being integrated or being directly associated to the device, e.g. back reflectors optical coatings H01L31/0216
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/162 the light source being a semiconductor device with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. a light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/502 Wavelength conversion materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0092 Nonlinear frequency conversion, e.g. second harmonic generation [SHG] or sum- or difference-frequency generation outside the laser cavity nonlinear frequency conversion per se G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/082 defining a plurality of resonators, e.g. for mode selection or suppression
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0087 for illuminating phosphorescent or fluorescent materials, e.g. using optical arrangements specifically adapted for guiding or shaping laser beams illuminating these materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/10 Construction or shape of the optical resonator , e.g. extended or external cavity, coupled cavities, bent-guide, varying width, thickness or composition of the active region H01S5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1092 Multi-wavelength lasing
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1096 in a single cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/755 Nanosheet or quantum barrier/well, i.e. layer structure having one dimension or thickness of 100 nm or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/774 Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots

Abstract

Optical resonators that are enhanced with photoluminescent phosphors and are designed and configured to output light at one or more wavelengths based on input/pump light, and systems and devices made with such resonators. In some embodiments, the resonators contain multiple optical resonator cavities in combination with one or more photoluminescent phosphor layers or other structures. In other embodiments, the resonators are designed to simultaneously resonate at the input/pump and output wavelengths. The photoluminescent phosphors can be any suitable photoluminescent material, including semiconductor and other materials in quantum-confining structures, such as quantum wells and quantum dots, among others.

Claims

1. An optically pumped system, comprising:

an optical resonator responsive to input light and including;

a stack of multiple layers, wherein differing ones of said multiple layers are composed of differing materials, wherein;

some of said differing layers are designed, configured, and arranged to define multiple reflectors; and

said multiple reflectors are located to define multiple resonator cavities; and

at least one photoluminescent layer located in at least one of said resonator cavities, wherein said at least one photoluminescent layer is designed to photoluminesce in the presence of the input light.

2. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple layers are monolithic with one another.

3. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple layers are not monolithic with one another.

4. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein each of the multiple reflectors comprises a distributed Bragg reflector.

5. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein each of the multiple reflectors does not comprise a distributed Bragg reflector.

6. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the reflectivities of the multiple reflectors are similar to one another.

7. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the reflectivities of the multiple reflectors are dissimilar to one another.

8. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple resonator cavities are spaced from one another.

9. An optically pumped system according to claim 8, wherein said multiple resonator cavities are coupled in series with one another.

10. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple resonator cavities are thin film cavities.

11. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple resonator cavities are thick film cavities.

12. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple resonator cavities are tunable cavities.

13. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one photoluminescent layer comprises at least one phosphor layer.

14. An optically pumped system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one phosphor layer can comprise at least one quantum confining layer.

15. An optically pumped system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one phosphor layer can comprise at least one non quantum confining layer.

16. An optically pumped system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one phosphor layer can comprise at least one quantum well layer.

17. An optically pumped system according to claim 13, wherein said at least one phosphor layer can comprise at least one quantum dot layer.

18. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said resonator is tuned to produce an internal standing wave having antinodes, and said at least one photoluminescent layer comprises at least one quantum-confining sub-layer located respectively at at least one of the antinodes of the internal standing wave when the internal standing wave is present.

19. An optically pumped system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one quantum-confining layer comprises a quantum-well layer.

20. An optically pumped system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one quantum-confining layer is located adjacent a barrier layer that participates as a component of one of said multiple reflectors.

21. An optically pumped system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one quantum confining layer comprises a semiconductor material.

22. An optically pumped system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one quantum confining layer comprises a II-VI semiconductor material.

23. An optically pumped system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one quantum confining layer comprises a III-V semiconductor material.

24. An optically pumped system according to claim 23, wherein said at least one quantum confining layer comprises indium gallium nitride.

25. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one photoluminescent layer is located within at least one of said multiple resonator cavities.

26. An optically pumped system according to claim 25, wherein at least one of said multiple resonator cavities does not contain any photoluminescent material.

27. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one photoluminescent layer has a uniform thickness selected to provide output photoluminescent light across a band of wavelengths having a width of less than about 50 nm.

28. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one photoluminescent layer has varying thickness selected to provide output photoluminescent light across a band of wavelengths greater than about 50 nm.

29. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple resonator cavities contain, respectively, multiple photoluminescent layers that are substantially the same thickness as one another.

30. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple resonator cavities contain, respectively, multiple photoluminescent layers having substantially different thicknesses relative to one another.

31. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, further comprising a light source located adjacent to at least one of said multiple resonator cavities, said light source designed and configured to optically pump said resonator.

32. An optically pumped system according to claim 31, wherein said stack of multiple layers is monolithic and said light source is monolithic with said stack of multiple layers.

33. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a light emitting diode.

34. An optically pumped system according to claim 33, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a visible light emitting diode.

35. An optically pumped system according to claim 33, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a green light emitting diode.

36. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a laser diode.

37. An optically pumped system according to claim 36, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a visible laser diode.

38. An optically pumped system according to claim 36, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a green laser diode.

39. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a polariton light-emitting diode.

40. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a polariton laser diode.

41. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein the optically pumped system is tuned to output light equivalent in intensity and quality to the light output of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

42. A system according to claim 1, wherein said resonator has a configuration, and the system further comprises a red downconverter, a green downconverter, and a blue downconverter, each having said configuration.

43. An optically pumped system according to claim 1, wherein said resonator is designed and configured to output light of a first wavelength in response to receiving the input light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, said resonator being tuned to resonate at each of the first and second wavelengths simultaneously.

44. An optically pumped system, comprising:

an optical resonator responsive to input light and including;

a stack of multiple layers, wherein differing ones of said multiple layers are composed of differing materials, wherein;

some of said differing layers are designed, configured, and arranged to define multiple reflectors; and

said multiple reflectors are located to define one or more resonator cavities; and

at least one photoluminescent layer located in at least one of said one or more resonator cavities, wherein said at least one photoluminescent layer is designed to photoluminesce in the presence of the input light so as to produce photoluminescent light;

wherein said at least one resonator cavity is designed and configured to resonate at the frequencies of the input light and photoluminescent light simultaneously.