Recent advances in semiconductor vertical cavity lasers for optical communications and optical interconnects

We discuss error free optical fiber transmission at data rates up to 10 Gbit/s using high performance InGaAs strained QW vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode (VCSEL) sources. Fabricated multi-mode VCSELs achieve 50 mW maximum output power and 47% conversion efficiency. Single-mode devices have 290 /spl mu/A threshold current, 2.7 mW maximum output power, 27% conversion efficiency and 50 dB sidemode suppression.