Tunable VCSEL

TLDR

VCSELs are becoming essential optical sources in communications, offering simple coupling, packaging, array fabrication, and a single‑wavelength structure that makes them attractive for cost‑effective, wavelength‑tunable lasers in future all‑optical networks. The paper reviews advances in wavelength‑tunable VCSELs, summarizing early breakthroughs and focusing on micromechanical tunable VCSEL designs and their properties.

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.