Emission of coherent "black beams" from coupled VCSEL arrays

We present experimentally and theoretically coupled VCSELs arrays with novel emission patterns, in which each VCSEL element is emitting an optical vortex (or several vortices). The coupled vortices emission is carrying more information (the vortices "charge"), more robust and in addition the vortex "charge" removes the anti-phase coupling obstacle. This added flexibility may assist in broadening the use of coherent laser arrays for interconnection applications. We examined the transverse intensity patterns emerging from coherent arrays of proton implanted, medium area VCSELs. The active layer consisted of three 8 nm InGaAs wells.