Surface emitting and receiving photonic device
A surface-emitting laser, in which light is emitted vertically at one end from a 45°-angled facet, includes a second end having a perpendicular facet from which light is emitted horizontally, for monitoring.
1 . A surface emitting photonic device comprising:
a substrate;
an optically transmissive uninterrupted waveguide medium positioned on said substrate;
at least a first etched facet positioned on said medium perpendicular to said substrate; and
at least a second etched facet positioned on said medium at an angle to said substrate.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said medium is a semiconductor material incorporating an active region for generating laser light.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein said second facet is at an angle of about 45°.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein said second facet is internally reflective and angled to cause light generated in said active region to be emitted in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to said substrate.
5 . The device of claim 4 , further including a filter on said medium for filtering said emitted light.
6 . The device of claim 4 , wherein said first facet is partially reflective, and further including a monitoring photo detector adjacent said first facet and axially aligned with said medium.
7 . The device of claim 6 , further including a distributed Bragg reflector element interposed between said first facet and said photo detector.
8 . The device of claim 6 , further including multiple filters interposed between said first facet and said photo detector.
9 . The device of claim 1 , further including a surface area detector on said substrate and fabricated in said medium.
10 . The device of claim 1 , further including an in-plane detector on said substrate and fabricated in said medium.
11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein said detector includes an inlet end incorporating an angled facet for deflecting impinging light into the detector.
12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said optically transmissive medium comprises multiple layers on a top surface of said substrate and providing an active region substantially parallel to said top surface.
13 . The device of claim 12 , further including electrodes on said medium and on said substrate for receiving a bias voltage to activate the medium to produce a laser output beam.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein said medium is a ridge laser.
15 . The device of claim 12 , wherein said medium is shaped to form an elongated laser cavity having said first facet at a first end of the cavity and having said second facet at a second end of the cavity.
16 . The device of claim 12 , wherein said medium is shaped to form multiple elongated laser cavities each cavity having a first facet positioned at a first end and having a second facet at a second end, the second ends being clustered to emit light along a common axis.
17 . A photonic device comprising,
a first etched facet surface emitting laser emitting at a first wavelength; and
a second etched facet surface emitting laser emitting at a second wavelength.
18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein said first laser output end is adjacent to said second laser output end.
19 . A surface receiving detector comprising:
a substrate;
an optically transmissive uninterrupted waveguide medium positioned on said substrate;
at least a first etched facet positioned on said medium perpendicular to said substrate; and
at least a second etched facet positioned on said medium at an angle to said substrate.
20 . A semiconductor chip comprising:
an etched facet surface-emitting laser formed on said semiconductor chip; and
a monitoring photo detector monolithically integrated with said laser.
21 . A semiconductor photonic device comprising:
a substrate;
a semiconductor structure on said substrate, said structure including a contact layer for providing an ohmic contact to said semiconductor structure;
an optically transmissive medium included in said structure; and
at least one etched facet for said medium at an angle to said substrate; and
said contact layer being removed from said structure to provide an aperture in the region of said facet.
22 . The device of claim 21 , further including a transition layer between said contact layer and said semiconductor structure.
23 . The device of claim 21 , wherein said at least one etched facet directs light from said medium at an angle to said substrate and through said aperture.
24 . The device of claim 23 , further including a second etched facet for said medium at an angle to said substrate, said contact layer being removed from said structure to provide a second aperture in the region of said second facet.
25 . A semiconductor laser comprising:
a substrate;
a semiconductor structure on said substrate;
first and second facets etched into said structure;
a ridge waveguide formed in said structure between said first and second facets; and
said ridge waveguide being tapered outwardly at second facet.
26 . The laser of claim 25 , wherein said second facet is etched at or about 45°.
27 . The laser of claim 26 , further including an aperture above said second facet.
28 . The laser of claim 27 , further including a dielectric layer or stack on said aperture.
29 . The laser of claim 28 , wherein said first facet is etched at or about 90°.
30 . The laser of claim 29 , further including a dielectric layer or stack on said first facet.
31 . The laser of claim 30 , further including a monitoring photo detector positioned to receive light from said first facet and axially aligned with said ridge.
32 . The laser of claim 28 , wherein said ridge waveguide is further tapered outwardly at first facet.
33 . The laser of claim 32 , wherein said first facet is etched at or about 45°.
34 . The laser of claim 33 , further including an aperture above said first facet.
35 . The laser of claim 34 , further including a dielectric layer or stack on said aperture above said first facet.