QUANTUM DOT VERTICAL LASING SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL AMPLIFIER

1 . A vertical lasing semiconductor optical amplifier (VLSOA) comprising:

a semiconductor gain medium comprising a quantum dot active region, the semiconductor gain medium defining at least a portion of an amplifying path; and

a laser cavity within which a portion of the semiconductor gain medium is disposed, the laser cavity having a gain characteristic, with respect to an optical signal traversing the amplifying path, that is responsive to a pump input to the laser cavity.

2 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 1 , wherein the quantum dot active region comprises an Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) core and an Indium Gallium Arsenide Phosphide (InGaAsP) shell.

3 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor gain medium further comprises:

a substrate;

a first mirror stack above the substrate and below the quantum dot active region; and

a second mirror stack above the quantum dot active region.

4 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

an input to the amplifying waveguide path, the input adapted to receive an optical signal; and

an output coupled to the amplifying waveguide path, the output adapted to transmit an optical signal from the VLSOA.

5 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a tunnel junction upon the quantum dot active region.

6 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 5 , wherein the tunnel junction comprises strained InGaAs:C/InGaAs:Te.

7 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 1 , wherein the laser cavity is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the amplifying waveguide path.

8 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 1 , wherein the laser cavity includes a pump input and a ballast laser signal output and an amplified optical signal output having a clamped gain.

9 . A vertical lasing semiconductor optical amplifier (VLSOA) comprising:

a laser cavity including a quantum dot semiconductor gain medium, the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium defining at least a portion of an amplifying waveguide path, the amplifying waveguide path traversing from a first cleaved facet to a second cleaved facet of the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium, wherein the amplification waveguide path is tilted from about 5 degrees to about 15 degrees with respect to a crystal plane of the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium having a Miller index of about [100]; and

a pump input to the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium for pumping the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium above a lasing threshold for the laser cavity.

10 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , wherein the laser cavity is oriented substantially vertically with respect to the amplifying path.

11 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , wherein: the VLSOA comprises layers of different materials stacked on a substrate; and the laser cavity comprises a top mirror and a bottom mirror opposing the top mirror, each mirror including at least one of the stacked layers.

12 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:

a confinement layer located below the top mirror and above the bottom mirror; and

an electrical contact located above the confinement layer and also located above any semiconduction portion of the top mirror; the electrical contact also located below any dielectric portion of the top mirror.

13 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , wherein the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium comprises an Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) core and an Indium Gallium Arsenide Phosphide (InGaAsP) shell.

14 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a tunnel junction upon an active region in the quantum dot semiconductor gain medium.

15 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 14 , wherein the tunnel junction comprises strained InGaAs:C/InGaAs:Te.

16 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , wherein the laser cavity generates a ballast laser signal and clamps a gain seen by an optical signal traversing the amplifying waveguide path.

17 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , further comprising anti-reflection coatings deposited on the first cleaved facet and the second cleaved facet

18 . An optical logic device comprising at least one optical element optical coupled to the VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one optical element and the VLSOA are formed on a common substrate.

19 . An optical system comprising:

a housing;

an optical transmitter at least partially disposed within the housing;

a VLSOA as recited in claim 9 optically coupled to the optical transmitter; and

an optical receiver at least partially disposed within the housing.

20 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 9 , wherein the quantum dot active regions is substantially immune to inter-symbol interference even when operated in saturation.

21 . A vertical lasing semiconductor optical amplifier (VLSOA) comprising:

a semiconductor gain medium in a laser cavity, comprising:

a lower distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack;

an upper distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack; and

a quantum dot active region disposed between the upper distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack and the lower distributed Bragg reflector mirror stack;

a pump input for pumping the semiconductor gain medium above a lasing threshold for the laser cavity, whereby the semiconductor gain medium includes a ballast laser signal output; and

an amplifying waveguide path traversing the quantum dot active region, wherein an optical signal entering the amplifying waveguide path experiences a gain, as it traverses the quantum dot active region, by acquiring photons from the electrical pumping of the quantum dot active region.

22 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 21 , wherein the amplification path terminates at first and second cleaved facets of the VLSOA, wherein the VLSOA further comprises antireflection coatings on each of the first and second cleaved facets.

23 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 21 , further comprising a tunnel junction above the quantum dot active region.

24 . The VLSOA as recited in claim 23 , wherein the tunnel junction comprises strained InGaAs:C/InGaAs:Te.