MEMS tunable vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier

1. A tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), comprising:

a substrate;

a first mirror, coupled to the substrate;

a second mirror;

an active region, coupled between the first and second mirror, wherein an optical input is received into the active region and the active region comprises a multiple quantum well structure wherein twice a single-pass gain is insufficient to overcome a cavity loss in the tunable SOA, and

a microelectromechanical actuator, coupled to the second mirror, the microelectromechanical actuator receiving a voltage and tuning the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with the voltage wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) amplifies the optical input into an optical output.

2. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 1 , wherein the optical input of the tunable SOA is from the substrate.

3. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 2 , further comprising a stiffener, coupled to the microelectromechanical actuator, for creating a uniform static state of the tunable SOA.

4. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 3 , wherein the substrate is gallium arsenide.

5. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 1 , wherein an optical output of the tunable SOA is from the second mirror.

6. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 1 , wherein the optical output of the tunable SOA is from the substrate.

7. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 1 , further comprising a stiffener, coupled to the microelectromechanical actuator, for creating a uniform static state of the tunable SOA.

8. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is gallium arsenide.

9. A tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), comprising:

a substrate;

a first mirror, coupled to the substrate;

an active region coupled to the first mirror, the active region comprising a multiple quantum well structure wherein twice a single-pass gain is insufficient to overcome a cavity loss in the tunable SOA;

at least one layer of a second mirror coupled to the active region, wherein an optical input is received into the active region;

a microelectromechanical actuator, coupled to the at least one layer; and

a remainder of the second mirror, coupled to the microelectromechanical actuator, a voltage being applied to the microelectromechanical actuator to move the remainder of the second mirror and tune the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with the voltage wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) amplifies the optical input into an optical output.

10. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 9 , wherein the optical input of the tunable SOA is from the substrate.

11. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 10 , further comprising a stiffener, coupled to the microelectromechanical actuator, for creating a uniform static state of the tunable SOA.

12. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is gallium arsenide.

13. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 9 , wherein an optical output of the tunable SOA is from the second mirror.

14. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 9 , wherein the optical output of the tunable SOA is from the substrate.

15. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 9 , further comprising a stiffener, coupled to the microelectromechanical actuator, for creating a uniform static state of the tunable SOA.

16. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier of claim 9 , wherein the substrate is gallium arsenide.

17. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 1 , wherein the optical input of the tunable SOA is from the second mirror.

18. The tunable semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) of claim 9 , wherein the optical input of the tunable SOA is from the second mirror.