Optical module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10601200-B2
Application number	US-201715998661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

An optical module includes a semiconductor laser and a linear polarizer that is disposed in an emission direction of the semiconductor laser and that is configured to transmit, of light emitted by the semiconductor laser, only light containing a linearly polarized light component in a specific direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical module comprising:
a semiconductor laser;
a linear polarizer that is disposed in an emission direction of the semiconductor laser and that is configured to transmit, of light emitted by the semiconductor laser, only light containing a linearly polarized light component in a specific direction; and
a light-receiving element that is disposed in the emission direction of the semiconductor laser and opposite the semiconductor laser when viewed from the linear polarizer and that is configured to receive a portion of the light containing the linearly polarized light component and transmitted through the linear polarizer,
wherein the semiconductor laser, the linear polarizer, and the light-receiving element are disposed next to each other along a straight line extending in the emission direction of the light of the semiconductor laser.

2. The optical module according to claim 1 , further comprising a protective member that surrounds the semiconductor laser, the linear polarizer, and the light-receiving element.

3. The optical module according to claim 1 , further comprising a lens that is disposed in the emission direction of the semiconductor laser and opposite the semiconductor laser when viewed from the light-receiving element.

4. The optical module according to claim 2 , further comprising a lens that is disposed in the emission direction of the semiconductor laser and opposite the semiconductor laser when viewed from the light-receiving element, wherein the lens is surrounded by the protective member.

5. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor laser is configured to emit red light or infrared light.

6. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor laser is a laser that contains, as a material, a group III-V compound semiconductor in which a group V element contains at least one of arsenic and phosphorus.

7. An optical module comprising:
a semiconductor laser;
a linear polarizer that is disposed in an emission direction of the semiconductor laser and that is configured to transmit, of light emitted by the semiconductor laser, only light containing a linearly polarized light component in a specific direction; and
a light-receiving element that is disposed in the emission direction of the semiconductor laser and opposite the semiconductor laser when viewed from the linear polarizer and that is configured to receive a portion of the light containing the linearly polarized light component and transmitted through the linear polarizer,
wherein the portion of the linearly polarized light directly enters the light-receiving element without passing through other optical components.

8. The optical module according to claim 7 , further comprising a protective member that surrounds the semiconductor laser, the linear polarizer, and the light-receiving element.

9. The optical module according to claim 7 , further comprising a lens that is disposed in the emission direction of the semiconductor laser and opposite the semiconductor laser when viewed from the light-receiving element.

10. The optical module according to claim 8 , further comprising a lens that is disposed in the emission direction of the semiconductor laser and opposite the semiconductor laser when viewed from the light-receiving element, wherein the lens is surrounded by the protective member.

11. The optical module according to claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor laser is configured to emit red light or infrared light.

12. The optical module according to claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor laser is a laser that contains, as a material, a group III-V compound semiconductor in which a group V element contains at least one of arsenic and phosphorus.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Enya Yohei
• Nakanishi Hiromi
• Kumano Tetsuya

Classifications

• H01S5/4031

  Edge-emitting structures · CPC title

• H01S5/02216

  Butterfly-type, i.e. with electrode pins extending horizontally from the housings · CPC title

• H01S5/4093

  Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion · CPC title

• H01S5/02438

  Characterized by cooling of elements other than the laser chip, e.g. an optical element being part of an external cavity or a collimating lens · CPC title

• H01S5/0071

  for beam steering, e.g. using a mirror outside the cavity to change the beam direction · CPC title