Optical communication components supplier VI Systems GmbH has acquired an exclusive silicon photonics patent license for applications in sensing, data communications, and illumination using vertical-cavity LED structures. US Patent No. 8,472,496, called “Optoelectronic Device and Method of Making Same,” addresses the ability to fabricate surface-emitting lasers and LEDs in any materials system by attaching a dielectric cavity layer, confined by multilayer dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors on both sides of the gain medium. The technique enables light trapping and amplification, even if the cavity layer itself remains passive. It allows integration of the device with photonic crystals, waveguides and subwavelength gratings, and offers an option of high-temperature wavelength stability for uncooled dense-wavelength division multiplexing applications. For more information, visit: www.v-i-systems.com