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

• US 9,711,941 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• 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
• Application Number:
  US14/978,485
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 385 14, 385 31- 32, 385 39, 385 49- 50
• 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 monolithically integrated optical device. The device has a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member having a surface region configured on either a non-polar or semi-polar orientation. The device also has a first waveguide structure configured in a first direction overlying a first portion of the surface region. The device also has a second waveguide structure integrally configured with the first waveguide structure. The first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a laser diode integrated with an optical device, the optical device including at least one of a display device, a metrology device, a communications device, a health care or surgery device, or an information technology device, the laser diode comprising;

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

a first waveguide structure configured in a first direction and overlying a first portion of the surface region, the first waveguide structure configured in the first direction being characterized by a first gain and loss;

a second waveguide structure coupled to the first waveguide structure, the second waveguide structure configured in a second direction and overlying a second portion of the surface region, the second waveguide structure configured in the second direction being characterized by a second gain and loss, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction;

a third waveguide structure coupled to the second waveguide structure, the third waveguide structure configured in a third direction and overlying a third portion of the surface region, the third waveguide structure configured in the third direction being characterized by a third gain and loss, wherein the second direction is different from the third direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the surface orientation is nonpolar and is an m-plane orientation; and

wherein the second waveguide structure is integrally configured with the first waveguide structure and the third waveguide structure to form a continuous waveguide structure, or

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

5 degrees toward a c-direction and/or toward an a-direction from the plane; and

wherein the second waveguide structure is integrally configured with the first waveguide structure and the third waveguide structure to form a continuous waveguide structure.

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

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide structure is configured to generate a first guided emission primarily in a first polarization state;

and the second waveguide structure is configured to generate a second guided emission primarily in a second polarization state.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface orientation is the non-polar configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising total internal reflector mirrors configured to integrally couple the first waveguide structure and the second waveguide structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide structure, the second waveguide structure, and the third waveguide structure form a laser cavity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mirror surface coupled to each end of the first waveguide structure and to each end of the second waveguide structure.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mirror is defined in a first waveguide section and/or in a second waveguide section and/or in between a first waveguide section and a second waveguide section;

and wherein the second waveguide section is electrically coupled to a power source and is configured to modulate or absorb light propagating in the second waveguide section.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide structure is coupled to the second waveguide structure by at least one total internal reflecting turning mirror.

11. An optical device comprising:

a laser diode comprising;

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

a first waveguide structure configured in a first direction and overlying a first portion of the surface region, the first waveguide structure configured in the first direction being characterized by a first gain and loss;

a second waveguide structure coupled to the first waveguide structure, the second waveguide structure configured in a second direction and overlying a second portion of the surface region, the second waveguide structure configured in the second direction being characterized by a second gain and loss;

wherein the first direction is different from the second direction; and

a third waveguide structure coupled to the second waveguide structure, the third waveguide structure configured in a third direction and overlying a third portion of the surface region, the third waveguide structure configured in the third direction being characterized by a third gain and loss, wherein the second direction is different from the third direction;

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.

12. The optical device of claim 11, wherein:

the surface orientation is nonpolar and is an m-plane orientation; and

wherein the second waveguide structure is integrally configured with the first waveguide structure and the third waveguide structure to form a continuous waveguide structure, or

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

5 degrees toward a c-direction and/or toward an a-direction from the plane; and

wherein the second waveguide structure is integrally configured with the first waveguide structure and the third waveguide structure to form a continuous waveguide structure.

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

14. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the first waveguide structure is configured to generate a first guided emission primarily in a first polarization state;

and the second waveguide structure is configured to generate a second guided emission primarily in a second polarization state.

15. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the surface orientation is the non-polar configuration.

16. The optical device of claim 11, further comprising total internal reflector mirrors configured to integrally couple the first waveguide structure and the second waveguide structure.

17. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the first waveguide structure, the second waveguide structure, and the third waveguide structure form a laser cavity.

18. The optical device of claim 11, further comprising a mirror surface coupled to each end of the first waveguide structure and to each end of the second waveguide structure.

19. The optical device of claim 11, wherein a mirror is defined in a first waveguide section and/or in a second waveguide section and/or in between a first waveguide section and a second waveguide section;

and wherein the second waveguide section is electrically coupled to a power source and is configured to modulate or absorb light propagating in the second waveguide section.

20. The optical device of claim 11, wherein the first waveguide structure is coupled to the second waveguide structure by at least one total internal reflecting turning mirror.