News Article
VCSELs 'must get more powerful'
VCSEL technology must improve in order to further development in the data communication sector.
Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are presently only commercially viable at ten to 20 Gb per second (Gbps), but in the future this will not be sufficient, it has been claimed.
According to SPIE, high-speed laser advances will be required to increase development of high-capacity, short-reach data communication.
Indeed, at present the industry is working on the creation of VCSEL devices capable of 40 Gbps transfer rates, but in order to achieve this photon density is being scaled down, resulting in a loss in reliability.
Alternatively, scientists are experimenting with increasing the speed of 850nm gallium arsenide-based VCSELs, although this can suffer from high electrical resistance, meaning energy efficiency can suffer.
The key features of VCSELs include how circular and low divergence output beams eliminate the need for corrective optics, while low threshold currents enable high-density arrays.
In addition, the devices have a lower temperature sensitivity than edge-emitting laser diodes and provide high transmission speed coupled with low power consumption.
According to SPIE, high-speed laser advances will be required to increase development of high-capacity, short-reach data communication.
Indeed, at present the industry is working on the creation of VCSEL devices capable of 40 Gbps transfer rates, but in order to achieve this photon density is being scaled down, resulting in a loss in reliability.
Alternatively, scientists are experimenting with increasing the speed of 850nm gallium arsenide-based VCSELs, although this can suffer from high electrical resistance, meaning energy efficiency can suffer.
The key features of VCSELs include how circular and low divergence output beams eliminate the need for corrective optics, while low threshold currents enable high-density arrays.
In addition, the devices have a lower temperature sensitivity than edge-emitting laser diodes and provide high transmission speed coupled with low power consumption.
