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Design and Characterization Methodology for Efficient Wide Range Tunable MEMS Filters
Published on: February 4, 2018
High-sweep-rate 1310 nm MEMS-VCSEL with 150 nm continuous tuning range
V Jayaraman1, G D Cole, M Robertson
1Praevium Research, Inc., 5266 Hollister Avenue, Suite 224, Santa Barbara, CA 93111, USA vijay@praevium.com.
Electronics Letters
|August 27, 2013
Summary
Microelectromechanical-systems-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (MEMS-VCSELs) offer a 150 nm tuning range near 1310 nm. These lasers enable high-speed scanning for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Photonics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are crucial for optical communication and sensing.
- Achieving wide and continuous tuning in VCSELs is essential for advanced applications.
- Existing VCSEL technologies face limitations in tuning range and speed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel MEMS-VCSEL with a wide continuous tuning range.
- To enable VCSEL operation at 1310 nm for specific applications.
- To achieve high-speed scanning capabilities for dynamic measurements.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of MEMS-VCSELs utilizing wafer bonding of InP-based active regions with GaAs-based mirrors.
- Integration of a suspended dielectric top mirror for tuning.
- Optical pumping of a thin active region with a large free-spectral range.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a 150 nm continuous tuning range near 1310 nm.
- Achieved wide-gain-bandwidth operation using InP-based quantum wells and GaAs-based mirrors.
- Enabled scanning over the entire tuning range at frequencies up to 500 kHz.
Conclusions:
- MEMS-VCSELs offer a promising solution for wide-range, high-speed tunable lasers.
- The demonstrated device is suitable for applications like swept-source optical coherence tomography and transient spectroscopy.
- This technology advances the development of next-generation optical measurement systems.
