US 11,728,623 B2
Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with cascaded active region
Yuri Berk, Kiryat Tivon (IL); Vladimir Iakovlev, Ecublens (CH); Tamir Sharkaz, Kfar Tavor (IL); and Elad Mentovich, Tel Aviv (IL)
Assigned to MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., Yokneam (IL)
Filed by Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., Yokneam (IL)
Filed on Dec. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/247,401.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/947,636, filed on Dec. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0184432 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. H01S 5/30 (2006.01); H01S 5/183 (2006.01); H01S 5/227 (2006.01); H01S 5/34 (2006.01); H01S 5/42 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 5/18347 (2013.01) [H01S 5/18311 (2013.01); H01S 5/18377 (2013.01); H01S 5/2275 (2013.01); H01S 5/3095 (2013.01); H01S 5/3401 (2013.01); H01S 5/423 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
13. A VCSEL array comprising:
a plurality of VCSELs each comprising:
a mesa structure disposed on a substrate, the mesa structure defining an emission axis of the VCSEL, the mesa structure comprising:
a first reflector,
a second reflector, and
a cascaded active region structure disposed between the first reflector and the second reflector, wherein the cascaded active region structure comprises a plurality of cascaded active region layers disposed along the emission axis, wherein each of the cascaded active region layers comprises:
an active region comprising a plurality of Multi-Quantum well and/or dots Layers (MQLs), and
one of:
 a tunnel junction aligned with the emission axis and an oxide confinement layer, the oxide confinement layer being disposed between the tunnel junction and MQLs, and having an electrical current aperture defined therein, or
 a buried tunnel junction;
a cap layer disposed on the second reflector; and
an optical window at least partially disposed on the cap layer, wherein the cap layer and the optical window are configured to define an optical thickness σ of the respective VCSEL, and wherein the optical thickness σ is configured to control a photon lifetime of light emitted by the respective VCSEL; and
wherein each of the plurality of VCSELs is disposed an array distance, d, away from an adjacent VCSEL of the plurality of VCSELs, the array distance being a distance defined from a first point on the at least one contact of a first VCSEL of the plurality of VCSELs to a corresponding first point on the at least one contact of an adjacent VCSEL of the plurality of VCSELs.