1.3-m Vertical-Cavity Amplifier

Abstract—We demonstrate the first 1.3- m vertical-cavity optical amplifier. The amplifier was optically pumped and operated in reflection mode. Optimization of the top mirror re-flectivity resulted in a 9.4-dB continuous wave fiber-to-fiber gain, a gain-bandwidth product of 220 GHz, and a saturation output power of 6.1 dBm, all at room temperature. By modulating the pump source, an extinction ratio of 27 dB in the output signal power was obtained. Index Terms—Laser amplifiers, optical pumping, optical switches, semiconductor optical amplifiers, wafer bonding. I