VCSELs for optical communication at Fuji Xerox

Abstract

We introduce the characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for use in optical communications. In the field of optical interconnections and networks, 850 nm VCSELs are key optical transmitters due to their high-speed modulation and low power consumption. One promising candidate for achieving high-speed modulations exceeding 50 Gbps is the transverse-coupled-cavity (TCC) VCSEL. In this talk, we demonstrate the characteristics of 850 nm transverse-coupled-cavity VCSELs, which helped us achieve a high 3dB modulation bandwidth (30 GHz) at 0 °C and realize eye-opening at the large-signal modulation rate of 48 Gbps. The VCSEL's epilayer structure was grown by MOCVD. The active region consists of three strained InGaAs QWs surrounded by AlGaAs barriers. The n-type and p-type DBRs are composed of AlGaAs/AlGaAs, respectively. A line-shaped H+ ion was implanted at the center of the bowtie-shaped post, dividing it into two cavities. The threshold current of the TCC VCSEL with an oxide aperture of 3.6 μm is 0.33 mA. Only the left-side cavity is pumped, while the right cavity is unpumped. The effect of modulation bandwidth enhancement was observed over a wide temperature range of 120K thanks to an optical feedback in the coupled cavities. These results show the possibility of achieving high-speed VCSELs without any temperature or bias control. We also demonstrate an ultra-compact photodetector-integrated VCSEL with two laterally-coupled cavities. An output power and a photocurrent exhibit similar tendencies under a wide range of temperature changes. This device could be also used for monitoring output power without a conventional photodetector mounted separately.