Since its advent, VCSEL has been used as a core device for optical communications and optical storage , providing a new path for the development of the Internet industry and the improvement of optical storage performance.
At the same time, with the in-depth research on VCSEL at home and abroad, VCSEL has more attractive advantages and is widely used in more fields.
Infrared lighting application areas
VCSEL has a high output power and a photoelectric conversion efficiency exceeding 50%. VCSEL also has excellent reliability and can still operate stably under high temperature conditions reaching 80°C.
provide great help for assisted driving, security and surveillance cameras in foggy or nighttime conditions. VCSEL also provides unlimited possibilities for military detection activities in harsh environments such as explosions or dust clouds.
Optical communications field
Laser light sources are very important devices. The direction of VCSEL laser emission is perpendicular to the surface of the epitaxial wafer, which can easily realize the integration of two-dimensional array devices. VCSEL not only has the advantage of high photoelectric conversion efficiency, but also has very little light loss during transmission and the fiber coupling efficiency can reach a high level of almost 90%.
Optical fiber communication technology
VCSEL has the advantages of small size, simple packaging and good stability. Based on these advantages, VCSEL has developed into the mainstream of optical fiber communication technology in the contemporary field of optical fiber communication technology, and has become a key component in high-speed data communication networks with great advantages.
For example, the 850nm multi-mode VCSEL chip has a transmission rate of up to 10Gb/s. In the detection and positioning device, the VCSEL has a small divergence angle, which can extend the effective distance and improve the positioning accuracy.
Optical storage field
The computer and information industry has attached great importance to the research on large-capacity information technology storage. Optical storage technology is a technology that uses the interaction between lasers and media to store information. VCSEL is used as the light source of CD discs to improve storage density.
Laser printing field
The divergence direction of the VCSEL beam is perpendicular to the surface of the epitaxial wafer. Compared with a single laser, the VCSEL two-dimensional array integration can effectively overcome its shortcomings such as low power and high power consumption.
VCSEL two-dimensional array devices can scan multiple lines of data simultaneously, which not only significantly improves the operating speed of laser printers, but also significantly extends their service life, greatly saving usage costs.
Laser medical field
VCSEL has advantages such as small divergence angle, circular light spot, and ability to operate under high temperature conditions. It has been recognized by a large number of medical experts in the field of laser medicine, especially in soft tissue resection and combination, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, etc. It has played an irreplaceable role. The most typical application is the laser knife in surgery.
military field
Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers have unique advantages and capabilities for important military means such as laser ranging, lidar, laser simulation, and deep-sea communications.
VCSELs are widely used in the military, for example:
In blasting operations, it makes the determination of target points more precise, the shielding capability of electromagnetic interference signals stronger, and the automatic identification of moving targets more accurate.
The most important thing is that it breaks the barrier of deep-sea optical communications, making optical communications in the deep sea no longer an unreachable forbidden zone. Therefore, the application of VCSEL in the military has attracted much attention.
It is particularly worth pointing out that VCSEL array devices have huge application potential. Their uniform far-field working characteristics provide great help in improving the uniformity and efficiency of pumping.
This will provide new possibilities for the development of high-efficiency, high-power solid-state lasers. For example, the 808nm VCSEL array is particularly suitable for pumping and solid-state lasers to obtain 1064nm lasers for application in industrial production.
With the development of VCSEL, its role has received more and more attention, bringing unlimited possibilities to the development of 3D sensing, autonomous driving, face recognition, Internet of Things, VR/AR, 5G communications and other fields.
Especially in the field of optical communications, breakthroughs have been made continuously. With the advent of 5G, VCSEL has become an indispensable device for social development.
Therefore, VCSEL devices will have huge market demand and good application prospects in the future.
