Optical interconnects (OIs) are the only solution to fulfil both the requirements on large bandwidth and minimum power consumption of data centers and high-performance computers (HPCs). Vertical-cavity surface- emitting lasers (VCSELs) are the ideal light sources for OIs and have been widely deployed. This paper will summarize the progress made on modulation speed, energy efficiency, and temperature stability of VCSELs. Especially VCSELs with surface nanostructures will be reviewed in depth. Such lasers will provide new opportunities to further boost the performance of VCSELs and open a new door for energy-efficient OIs.

Optical interconnects (OIs) are the only solution to fulfil both the requirements on large bandwidth and minimum power consumption of data centers and high-performance computers (HPCs). Vertical-cavity surface- emitting lasers (VCSELs) are the ideal light sources for OIs and have been widely deployed. This paper will summarize the progress made on modulation speed, energy efficiency, and temperature stability of VCSELs. Especially VCSELs with surface nanostructures will be reviewed in depth. Such lasers will provide new opportunities to further boost the performance of VCSELs and open a new door for energy-efficient OIs.From 2006 to 2011, he was with Institute of Semiconductors, CAS, and was involved in the research on single-mode VCSELs with surface microstructures. From 2012 to July 2013, he was a Postdoc Fellow in Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, and worked on polymer OEIC. In August of 2013, he joined the group of Prof. Dieter H. Bimberg in Technische Universit?t Berlin, and explores surface emitters with surface nanostructures for high-speed modulation and new applications. In 2016, he is appointed as Associate Professor with CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Program in Institute of Semiconductors, CAS. His research interests include modeling, fabricating, and characterizing passive and active photonic devices. He has authored or coauthored about 50 papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings, and holds 1 filed US patent and 12 issued Chinese patents. He was the recipients of Special Prize of President Scholarship for Postgraduate Students, CAS (2011), Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award, CAS (2012), and Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Germany (2013).