US 12,266,904 B2
Modulator integration for laser used with display
Shiva Shahin, Seattle, WA (US); and Dale Eugene Zimmerman, Redmond, WA (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed by Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/337,312.
Prior Publication US 2022/0393426 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. H01S 5/042 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G02B 27/01 (2006.01); H01S 5/026 (2006.01); H01S 5/12 (2021.01)
CPC H01S 5/0427 (2013.01) [G02B 26/0833 (2013.01); H01S 5/0265 (2013.01); H01S 5/12 (2013.01); G02B 27/0172 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laser device for use with a display including a plurality of pixels, the laser device comprising:
a gain section electrically coupled with a first current or voltage source and configured to selectively amplify an optical power of light reflecting within the gain section based on a first drive current or voltage supplied from the first current or voltage source to the gain section; and
a modulator optically coupled with the gain section and electrically coupled with a second current or voltage source, the modulator configured to selectively attenuate or amplify an optical power of light received from the gain section based on a second drive current or voltage supplied from the second current or voltage source to the modulator, wherein light emitted from the modulator is provided to the display; and
a controller configured to modulate, via the first current or voltage source, the first drive current or voltage and to modulate, via the second current or voltage source, the second drive current or voltage to dynamically adjust an optical power of light emitted from the laser device to a target optical power at least on a per pixel basis for the plurality of pixels of the display based on a control scheme where:
in a first operating region where the target optical power is greater than a first threshold optical power, the controller modulates the gain section with the first drive current or voltage such that the gain section amplifies the optical power of light in the gain section to the target optical power, and modulates the modulator with the second current or voltage such that the modulator minimally or does not attenuate the optical power of light passing through the modulator,
in a second operating region where the target optical power is less than the first threshold optical power and greater than a second optical power threshold, the controller modulates the gain section with the first drive current or voltage such that the gain section amplifies the optical power of light in the gain section to a preliminary optical power that is greater than the target optical power, and modulates the modulator with the second drive current or voltage such that the modulator attenuates or amplifies the preliminary optical power of light passing through the modulator to the target optical power, and
in a third operating region, where the target optical power is less than a second threshold optical power, the controller modulates the gain section with the first drive current or voltage such that the gain section amplifies the optical power of light in the gain section to the target optical power, and modulates the modulator with the second current or voltage such that the modulator minimally or does not attenuate the optical power of light passing through the modulator,
wherein the first threshold optical power is greater than a third threshold optical power that corresponds to a threshold driving current at which optical power output by the gain section rises linearly relative to a laser injection current that is provided to the gain section, and wherein the second threshold optical power is less than the third threshold optical power.