Mc. Larson et al., CONTINUOUSLY TUNABLE MICRO-ELECTROMECHANICAL VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASERS, International journal of optoelectronics, 10(5), 1995, pp. 401-408
Continuous wavelength tuning is achieved micro-electromechanically in
a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The device utilizes a monoli
thic micromachined deformable-membrane top mirror suspended by an air
gap above a p-i-n diode quantum well active region and bottom mirror.
Applied membrane voltage bias produces an electrostatic force which re
duces the air gap thickness and therefore tunes the lasing wavelength.
Coupled-cavity effects play an important role in the device character
istics, and the wavelength range is significantly larger than that of
conventional diode lasers that rely on refractive index effects for tu
ning.