Advances in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

摘要

This paper reviews the progress in the technology and application of vertical cavity surface emitting semiconductor laser (VCSEL) arrays. I focus on the capability to obtain high-performance, high-yield, uniformly operating arrays. Both 1D individually addressable arrays and 2D matrix-addressable VCSEL arrays are described. These arrays are made possible by the novel geometry of VCSELs and the advances in the field of epitaxial growth. Applications envisioned include high-speed parallel optical data links (exploiting both 1D and 2D arrays) and imaging, microscopy and computational technologies which readily benefit from 2D addressable sources. The characteristics of VCSEL devices and arrays for use as transmitter sources as optical interconnects and for display and/or imaging applications are stressed.