Novel vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with integrated optical beam router for massively parallel free-space interconnection

We report a novel vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with monolithically integrated phase-shifters. Optical beams emitting at angles of 0/spl deg/ to 9.6/spl deg/ from the surface-normal direction have been achieved. Dynamic switching of the radiation angle has also been successfully demonstrated by turning on/off the phase-shifted region of the VCSEL. This novel device can reduce the complexity and size of switching nodes, and increase reliability of the interconnect system. The high-density integration and wafer scale fabrication capability make them particularly attractive for massively parallel free-space optical interconnection.<
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