United States Patent [19] [ii] Patent Number: 4,786,918
Thornton et al. [45] Date of Patent: Nov. 22, 1988
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 808,197, Dec. 19, 1985, abandoned.
[51] Int. CI." G01D 9/42; HOIS 3/19
[52] U.S. CI 346/108; 372/46;
372/48; 354/5
[58] Field of Search 346/108, 107 R, 76 L,
346/160; 372/46, 48, 50; 354/5, 12
[56] References Cited
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OTHER PUBLICATIONS
"Phase-Locked Semiconductor Laser Array", D. R. Scifres et al., Applied Physics Letters; vol. 33(12), pp. 1015-1017 (12/15/78).
Primary Examiner—E. A. Goldberg
Assistant Examiner—Mark Reinhart
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—W. Douglas Carothers, Jr.
[57] ABSTRACT
An incoherent, optically uncoupled laser array for an electro-optic line modulator or a line printer or the like and comprising a plurality of spatial laser emitters characterized by having high power density and a uniform far field emission pattern. Structural means is provided in the array to permit the spacing of the emitters sufficiently close to provide a uniform far field emission pattern without permitting phaselocking between adjacent emitters of the array. The structural means may comprise geometric lateral and diagonal displacement of adjacent optical cavities of the laser elements. Alternatively, the structural means may comprise a plurality of spatially disposed isolation regions extending across the laser array and extending into the laser array a distance sufficient to optically isolate the optical cavities of the laser elements from one another and prevent optical coupling between adjacent laser elements. The spatial isolation regions may be formed into the fabricated laser array using impurity induced disordering (IID).
5 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
