Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers

Abstract

Optical sources for fiber optic communications commonly operate at wavelengths near 850 nm, 1,300 nm, or 1,550 nm, which coincide with the transmission window of optical fibers. Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) operating at wavelengths between 780 and 980 nm have been well developed and in large deployment in data centers and enterprise networks. Substantial efforts have been devoted to the research and development of 1,310 nm and 1,550 nm long-wavelength VCSELs. Red visible VCSELs have also been developed, which may be applied for transmission over plastic optical fibers. In this chapter, we will introduce some fundamentals of VCSEL technology, primarily for fiber optic data communications. We will start with the operating principles behind the VCSEL technology, followed by the fabrication and manufacturing of the VCSEL devices.