Bonded tunable VCSEL with bi-directional actuation

1. A tunable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

a VCSEL device including an active region for amplifying light;

a membrane device having a mirror and first and second proximal-side electrostatic cavities between the VCSEL device and the membrane device for displacing the mirror to decrease a size of an optical cavity associated with the VCSEL device;

a first proximal-side electrostatic cavity driver configured to control the first proximal-side electrostatic cavity; and

a second proximal-side electrostatic cavity driver, different from the first proximal-side electrostatic cavity driver, configured to control the second proximal-side electrostatic cavity.

2. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first proximal-side electrostatic cavity is defined between a membrane structure of the membrane device and a proximal-side electrostatic cavity electrode metal layer on the VCSEL device.

3. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second proximal-side electrostatic cavity is defined between the membrane structure of the membrane device and the VCSEL device.

4. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a distal-side electrostatic cavity for displacing the mirror to increase the size of the optical cavity.

5. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a distal-side electrostatic cavity driver for applying a voltage to the membrane device.

6. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an insulated stand off configured to protect the VCSEL against damage due to electrical overstress of the first and second proximal-side electrostatic cavities by ensuring that a gap in the electrostatic cavity is prevented from going to 0.

7. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the insulating stand off is the high reflective dielectric coating.

8. A method of tuning a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

amplifying light in a VCSEL device including an active region;

controlling a first driver to drive a first proximal-side electrostatic cavity between the VCSEL device and a membrane device for displacing a mirror to decrease a size of an optical cavity; and

controlling a second driver to drive a second proximal-side electrostatic cavity between the VCSEL device and the membrane device for displacing the mirror to further decrease the size of the cavity.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first proximal-side electrostatic cavity is defined between a membrane structure of the membrane device and a proximal-side electrostatic cavity electrode metal layer on the VCSEL device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second proximal-side electrostatic cavity is defined between the membrane structure of the membrane device and the VCSEL device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising controlling a third driver to drive a distal-side electrostatic cavity for displacing the mirror to increase the size of the optical cavity.

12. A tunable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), comprising:

a VCSEL device including an active region for amplifying light;

a membrane device having a displaceable mirror and first and second proximal-side electrostatic cavities between the VCSEL device and the membrane device for decreasing a size of an optical cavity associated with the VCSEL device;

a proximal-side electrostatic cavity driver configured to control the first proximal-side electrostatic cavity;

first and second electrical contacts associated with the second proximal-side electrostatic cavity; and

an electrical connection shorting the first and second electrical contacts to one another.

13. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first proximal-side electrostatic cavity is defined between a membrane structure of the membrane device and a proximal-side electrostatic cavity electrode metal layer on the VCSEL device.

14. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the second proximal-side electrostatic cavity is defined between the membrane structure of the membrane device and the VCSEL device.

15. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a distal-side electrostatic cavity for displacing the mirror to increase the size of the optical cavity.

16. The VCSEL as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a distal-side electrostatic cavity driver for applying a voltage to the distal-side electrostatic cavity.