Modified distributed bragg reflector (DBR) for vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) resonant wavelength tuning sensitivity control

摘要

An optical device has at least one reflector disposed in an optical cavity. The reflector has a plurality of mirror pairs each comprising a pair of layers, each layer of each mirror pair having an index of refraction different than that of the other layer of the respective mirror pair. A tuning layer is disposed in the reflector, the tuning layer having an index of refraction different from that of the layers of the mirror pairs. In another embodiment, the reflector has first and second adjacent reflector sections, each reflector section having a respective plurality of mirror pairs where the difference in refractive index of a mirror pair's layers defines a refractive index contrast for the mirror pair. The mirror pairs of the first reflector section have a refractive index contrast different than that of the second reflector section, and a tuning layer is disposed in the optical cavity adjacent to the second reflector section and having an index of refraction different from that of the layers of the mirror pairs of the second reflector section.