Abstract

Recently, integrated optical circuits consisting of optical detectors, active electronic devices, and injection lasers have been fabricated on semi-insulating GaAs substrates.^1,2,3 A severe limit however is placed on the maximum allowable chip size if the lasers are formed between parallel cleaved facets. This problem can be alleviated if the light in the laser cavity is made to follow a semi-circular path to a single mirror facet or to follow along a quarter circle at a cleaved corner. In our implementation, the optical mode in the laser cavity is guided by total internal reflection along a single curved dielectric interface in the manner of the whispering gallery.⁴ Whispering gallery injection lasers have been previously fabricated,⁵ but only on conductive substrates.

© 1980 Optical Society of America