Intracavity quantum-well photodetection of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

We demonstrate the first intracavity InGaAs quantum-well photodetector within a VCSEL laser diode. Effective responsivity is as high as 0.23 A/W; dark current is less than 1 nA, limited by our noise floor. In this work, we present experimental results of the first VCSEL with an intracavity quantum-well photodetector. The quantum well with its embedded position prevents stray light from interfering with the power detection and monitoring while its thin active region minimizes the dark current.