Abstract

Since years, III-V semiconductor based external-cavity VCSEL (VECSEL) concept [1] is pointed out as a technology of choice for beyond-state-of-the-art laser light sources, demonstrating wavelength flexibility, high power, high spatial, temporal and polarization coherence, CW or fs ultra-short pulsed operation, compactness and functionalities. The targeted coherent state is typically a common circular low divergence fundamental gaussian TEM00 mode, linearly polarized state, single frequency state or modelocked comb. Such high-Q laser cavity exhibits a class-A dynamics with low intensity noise at shot noise level in MHz-GHz RF range, as well as a quantum limit optical frequency noise at the Hz level. Integration and packaging of such high performances sources is in progress (by Coherent, Innoptics [2], Fraunhofer ILT...). In this work, we take advantage of diode-pumped VECSEL based on III-V nanotechnologies integrating flat-photonics (quantum-well gain, Bragg mirror, metasurface, metallic mask), and fundamental physical features (axial symmetry of laser design, orthogonality of cavity modes, high finesse cavity, homogeneous gain, optical gain structure anisotropy, spatial hole burning...) for the generation of non-conventional coherent states, thanks to the insertion of new intracavity functions: beam carrying Orbital-Angular-Momentum, dual-frequency optical source for THz, coherent modeless light source.

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