Bryan, Robert

2001 Young Alumni Achievement Award

For contributions to the commercialization of VCSEL components

Since completing his education at the University of Illinois, Robert Bryan has focused on the development and commercialization of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) diodes. He joined Sandia National Laboratories as a senior member of the technical staff, where he conducted pioneering work on VCSEL diodes. The initial work focused on developing VCSEL diodes from their current state of optically pumped components. He led a team that demonstrated the first visible VCSEL, and he pioneered work on the integration of VCSELs with other optoelectronic components.

Dr. Bryan co-founded Vixel Corporation, which was the first company to market VCSEL components. He served as vice president in charge of research and engineering and on the board of directors of Vixel. Vixel produced the earliest VCSEL-based data links modules and now is a manufacturer of fiber channel equipment. In 1995, he left Vixel and founded Micro-Optical Devices, Inc. (MODE), where he served as president and on the board of directors. MODE is recognized worldwide for its superior oxide- VCSEL components and leadership in VCSEL-based arrays. In 1997, Dr. Bryan negotiated the merger of MODE into Emcore Corporation, where he now serves as division vice president.

Dr. Bryan is a member of IEEE, SPIE, and OSA. He holds over twenty-five patents and applications for VCSEL-based technology.

VCSELs are the enabling part of nearly a billion dollars worth of data communication links. in this talk, we will discuss the application of VCSELs; in these high-speed data communication systems. The anatomy of VCSEL-transceivers will be dissected. Real data for key performance traits will be examined for serial operation from 1.25 Gbit/s up thru 10 Gbit/s as well as for VCSEL arrays based modules.