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Chapter 9.7.2: Horizontal Cavity Surface Emitters

By Jeff Hecht
From Understanding Lasers

9.7.2 Horizontal Cavity Surface Emitters

Producing higher power from surface emitters requires a way to put more gain medium in the laser cavity. That can be done by deflecting light generated in the horizontal plane of the active layer so it emerges from the surface. A simple approach is to etch a 45 degree mirror to reflect light upward from the active layer. An alternative is to use a diffraction grating at the base of the active layer to scatter light out of the junction toward the surface.

Grating-coupled surface-emitting lasers have been demonstrated in a variety of configurations, including external-cavity and oscillator amplifier versions. They also can be fabricated in arrays. At this point, they are largely developmental.

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