Optical amplifying device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG.
2 illustrates one embodiment of an amplifying device 10 wherein the laser device 110 is surface emitting with a number of active regions forming a "total active region", i.
e.
a number of active regions in a cavity 103a.
The laser device is also described in the abovementioned at the same time filed patent application "Surface emitting laser device with a vertical cavity".
The "total active region" 103a which comprises a number of active regions with intermediate contact regions is vertically surrounded by a first dielectric Bragg mirror device 101a and a second dielectric Bragg mirror device 101b respectively.
On top of the upper Bragg mirror device 101a is arranged a contact layer 102a which may comprise a metal layer or similar.
Under the lower Bragg mirror device 101b is arranged a reversed photo diode 105 which will be further described under reference to FIG.
2b.
Under this photo diode 105 is arranged a contact layer 102b in the form of a contact electrode or similar and it may comprise a thin metal layer.
The contact layers 102a, 102b are connected to a battery or a voltage source in such a way that the photo diode 105 is reversed, alternatively is this so formed in relation to the battery or to the voltage source.
The amplifying device is arranged on a chip 111, in the shown embodiment the amplifying device 10 is arranged in such a way that it protrudes but it can also be embedded or recessed in the substrate 111.
With an optical signal incident to the reversed photo diode 105 on which the electrical contact layer 102b is arranged which preferably is transparent, amplified, coherent light will be emitted upwards as can be seen from the figure.
The laser device 110 itself with the reversed photo diode 105 is illustrated more clearly in FIG.
2a.
The electrical circuits are not further described since they are common.
Furthermore they provide for a fast grinding or "gating" of an incident photon bit-stream.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
2 the photo diode 105 is integrated in the laser device 110