Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.5
1.9
Journals
Photonics
Special Issues
Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Technology: Innovations and Future Trends
share announcement

Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Technology: Innovations and Future Trends

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1980

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yu Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
Interests: vertical cavity surface emitting laser; nonlinear dynamics; laser chaos; reservoir computing; spiking neural network

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology has emerged as a crucial component in modern optoelectronics, driving innovations across various applications from data communication to sensing and imaging systems. This Special Issue aims to focus on the latest advancements and future trends in VCSEL technology, encompassing the development of novel materials, innovative design approaches, and enhanced fabrication techniques. Additionally, we also aim to explore the integration of VCSELs in photonic neural networks, underscoring their potential in next-generation computing and artificial intelligence applications. We set out to gather cutting-edge research that highlights the potential of VCSELs to revolutionize industries through improved performance, efficiency, and versatility. We seek contributions that explore theoretical studies, experimental investigations, and practical implementations, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions of VCSEL technology.

Dr. Yu Huang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • VCSEL technology
  • optoelectronics
  • laser innovation
  • data communication
  • sensing systems
  • imaging applications
  • material development
  • design approaches
  • fabrication techniques
  • photonic neural networks
  • future trends

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

28 pages, 3909 KB  
Article
VCSELs: Influence of Design on Performance and Data Transmission over Multi-Mode and Single-Mode Fibers
by Nikolay N. Ledentsov, Nikolay Ledentsov, Jr., Vitaly A. Shchukin, Alexander N. Ledentsov, Oleg Yu. Makarov, Ilya E. Titkov, Markus Lindemann, Thomas de Adelsburg Ettmayer, Nils C. Gerhardt, Martin R. Hofmann, Xin Chen, Jason E. Hurley, Hao Dong and Ming-Jun Li
Photonics 2025, 12(10), 1037; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12101037 - 21 Oct 2025
Abstract
Substantial improvements in the performance of optical interconnects based on multi-mode fibers are required to support emerging single-channel data transmission rates of 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s. Future optical components must combine very high modulation bandwidths—supporting signaling at 100 Gbaud and 200 Gbaud—with [...] Read more.
Substantial improvements in the performance of optical interconnects based on multi-mode fibers are required to support emerging single-channel data transmission rates of 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s. Future optical components must combine very high modulation bandwidths—supporting signaling at 100 Gbaud and 200 Gbaud—with reduced spectral width to mitigate chromatic-dispersion-induced pulse broadening and increased brightness to further restrict flux-confining area in multi-mode fibers and thereby increase the effective modal bandwidth (EMB). A particularly promising route to improved performance within standard oxide-confined VCSEL technology is the introduction of multiple isolated or optically coupled oxide-confined apertures, which we refer to collectively as multi-aperture (MA) VCSEL arrays. We show that properly designed MA VCSELs exhibit narrow emission spectra, narrow far-field profiles and extended intrinsic modulation bandwidths, enabling longer-reach data transmission over both multi-mode (MMF) and single-mode fibers (SMF). One approach uses optically isolated apertures with lateral dimensions of approximately 2–3 µm arranged with a pitch of 10–12 µm or less. Such devices demonstrate relaxation oscillation frequencies of around 30 GHz in continuous-wave operation and intrinsic modulation bandwidths approaching 50 GHz. Compared with a conventional single-aperture VCSELs of equivalent oxide-confined area, MA designs can reduce the spectral width (root mean square values < 0.15 nm), lower series resistance (≈50 Ω) and limit junction overheating through more efficient multi-spot heat dissipation at the same total current. As each aperture lases in a single transverse mode, these devices exhibit narrow far-field patterns. In combination with well-defined spacing between emitting spots, they permit tailored restricted launch conditions in MMFs, enhancing effective modal bandwidth. In another MA approach, the apertures are optically coupled such that self-injection locking (SIL) leads to lasing in a single supermode. One may regard one of the supermodes as acting as a master mode controlling the other one. Streak-camera studies reveal post-pulse oscillations in the SIL regime at frequencies up to 100 GHz. MA VCSELs enable a favorable combination of wavelength chirp and chromatic dispersion, extending transmission distances over MMFs beyond those expected for zero-chirp sources and supporting transfer bandwidths up to 60 GHz over kilometer-length SMF links. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Technology: Innovations and Future Trends)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3496 KB  
Article
A CMOS Bandgap-Based VCSEL Driver for Temperature-Robust Optical Applications
by Juntong Li and Sung-Min Park
Photonics 2025, 12(9), 902; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12090902 - 9 Sep 2025
Viewed by 603
Abstract
This paper presents a temperature-robust current-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver (or CMVD) fabricated in a standard 180 nm CMOS process. While prior art relies on conventional current-mirror circuits for bias generation, the proposed CMVD integrates a bandgap-based biasing architecture to achieve high [...] Read more.
This paper presents a temperature-robust current-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver (or CMVD) fabricated in a standard 180 nm CMOS process. While prior art relies on conventional current-mirror circuits for bias generation, the proposed CMVD integrates a bandgap-based biasing architecture to achieve high thermal stability and process insensitivity. The bandgap core yields a temperature-compensated reference voltage and is then converted into both stable bias and modulation currents through a cascode current-mirror and switching logic. Post-layout simulations of the proposed CMVD show that the reference voltage variation remains within ±2%, and the bias current deviation is under 10% across full PVT conditions. Furthermore, the output current variation is limited to 7.4%, even under the worst-case corners (SS, 125 °C), demonstrating the reliability of the proposed architecture. The implemented chip occupies a compact core area of 0.0623 mm2 and consumes an average power of 18 mW from a single 3.3 V supply, suggesting that the bandgap-stabilized CMVD is a promising candidate for compact, power-sensitive optical systems requiring reliable and temperature-stable performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Technology: Innovations and Future Trends)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 4788 KB  
Article
Design of High-Efficiency Circularly Polarized Reflection Mirror Based on Chiral Dielectric Metasurface
by Bo Cheng, Yuxiao Zou, Kunpeng Zhai and Guofeng Song
Photonics 2025, 12(4), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12040341 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 868
Abstract
Circularly polarized lasers can directly generate circularly polarized light without requiring complex external optics, enabling applications in biosensing, environmentally friendly antibacterial treatments, and cancer cell phototherapy. However, the circular dichroism (CD) of chiral metasurface mirrors—a core component of such lasers—typically remains below 3%, [...] Read more.
Circularly polarized lasers can directly generate circularly polarized light without requiring complex external optics, enabling applications in biosensing, environmentally friendly antibacterial treatments, and cancer cell phototherapy. However, the circular dichroism (CD) of chiral metasurface mirrors—a core component of such lasers—typically remains below 3%, limiting beam quality. Using COMSOL simulations, we broke the metasurface’s structural symmetry via displacement and rotation operations, introducing chirality to the unit cell. At 980 nm, the metasurface achieved 99.85% reflectivity and 52% CD. Multipole analysis suggests this enhancement stems from electric dipole and quadrupole coupling. Our laser design could generate micro-nano-scale chiral light, advancing applications in biophotonics, biomedicine, and life sciences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Technology: Innovations and Future Trends)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop