Author :
Chang-Hasnain, Connie J.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng. & Comput. Sci., California Univ., Berkeley, CA, USA
Abstract :
Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are now key optical sources in optical communications. Their main application is currently in local area networks using multimode optical fibers. VCSELs are also being rapidly commercialized for single-mode fiber metropolitan area and wide area network applications. The advantages of VCSEL include simpler fiber coupling, easier packaging and testing, and the ability to be fabricated in arrays. In addition, VCSELs have an inherent single-wavelength structure that is well suited for wavelength engineering. All these advantages promise to lead to cost-effective wavelength-tunable lasers, which are essential for the future intelligent, all-optical networks. The author reviews the advances on wavelength-tunable VCSELs. She summarizes some of the early breakthroughs in wavelength engineering of VCSELs and then concentrates on the designs and properties of micromechanical tunable VCSEL.
Keywords :
laser beams; laser cavity resonators; laser tuning; metropolitan area networks; micro-optics; optical arrays; optical fabrication; optical fibre couplers; optical fibre networks; optical testing; optical transmitters; packaging; reviews; semiconductor lasers; surface emitting lasers; wide area networks; VCSELs; arrays; cost-effective wavelength-tunable lasers; designs; fabrication; fiber coupling; inherent single-wavelength structure; intelligent all-optical networks; local area networks; micromechanical tunable VCSEL; multimode optical fibers; optical communications; optical sources; packaging; properties; single-mode fiber metropolitan area network; testing; tunable VCSEL; vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers; wavelength engineering; wavelength-tunable VCSELs; wide area network applications; Commercialization; Fiber lasers; Optical fiber LAN; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber testing; Optical fibers; Optical surface waves; Surface emitting lasers; Tunable circuits and devices; Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers;
Journal_Title :
Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/2944.902146
