Progress and prospects of long=wavelength VCSELs

The story of long-wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) reminds us of an age-old proverb - with a small modification: where there is a will, there is a way. Although the realization of long-wavelength VCSELs was once considered nearly impossible, the progress of the field during the last three to four years has been tremendous, in part due to the abundance in funding. Although at the present time it is difficult to forecast the market, we believe the technical ground for potential applications of long-wavelength VCSELs is sound. The authors provide an overview of the exciting progress and discuss application requirements for these emerging optoelectronic sources.