Coupled-Defect Photonic Crystal Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers

Photonic crystal patterns containing two defects were fabricated within a large gain area in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. By designing effective refractive index changes in the region between the defects through cavity shifts caused by photonic crystals, it was possible to coherently couple laser light output from the defects. This enables a novel way to fabricate coherently coupled laser arrays