Integration of planar Fresnel microlenses with vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays.

We report a technique of integrating planar Fresnel microlenses with InGaAs/GaAs-based vertical-cavity surfacee-mitting laser arrays by selectively ion-beam milling the substrate. Depending on the application, one can focus, collimate, and bend the individual laser beams using such microlenses. An example is presented where a 32 x 32 array of microlenses, each with an aperture of 80microm and a focal length of 108 microm is integrated with a laser array. As expected, arrays of focused beams, each with a 2-microm spot size, are generated at a distance of approximately 110 microm.