A new concept on remote sensing of cirrus optical depth and effective ice particle size using strong water vapor absorption channels near 1.38 and 1.88 /spl mu/m

Techniques for retrieving cloud optical properties, i.e., the optical depths and particle size distributions, using atmospheric "window" channels in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions are well established. For partially transparent thin cirrus clouds, these "window" channels receive solar radiances scattered by the surface and lower level water clouds. Accurate retrieval of optical properties of thin cirrus clouds requires proper modeling of the effects from the surface and the lower level water clouds. In this paper, we describe a new concept using two strong water vapor absorption channels near 1.38 and 1.88 /spl mu/m, together with one window channel, for remote sensing of cirrus optical properties. Both the 1.38- and 1.88-/spl mu/m channels are highly sensitive in detecting the upper level cirrus clouds. Both channels receive little scattered solar radiances from the surface and lower level water clouds because of the strong water vapor absorption below cirrus. The 1.88-/spl mu/m channel is quite sensitive to changes in ice particle size distributions, while the 1.38-/spl mu/m channel is less sensitive. These properties allow for simultaneous retrievals of optical depths and particle size distributions of cirrus clouds with minimal contaminations from the surface and lower level water clouds. Preliminary tests of this new concept are made using hyperspectral imaging data collected with the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer. The addition of a channel near 1.88 /spl mu/m to future multichannel meteorological satellite sensors would improve our ability in global remote sensing of cirrus optical properties.     

Optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds derived from the MODIS 0.66and 1.375-/spl mu/m channels

In this paper, we introduce a method to retrieve the optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds using the isolated visible cirrus reflectance (without atmospheric and surface effects). The isolated cirrus reflectance is inferred from level 1b calibrated 0.66- and 1.375-/spl mu/m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. We created an optical properties database and optical thickness lookup library using previously calculated single-scattering data in conjunction with the discrete ordinates radiative transfer (DISORT) code. An algorithm was constructed based on this lookup library to infer the optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds for each pixel in a MODIS image. We demonstrate the applicability of this algorithm using several independent MODIS images from the Terra satellite. The present method is complimentary to the MODIS operational cloud retrieval algorithm for the case of cirrus clouds.     

AIRS/Vis near IR instrument

A component of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument system is the AIRS/Visible Near InfraRed (Vis/NIR) instrument. With a nadir ground resolution of 2.28 km and four channels, the Vis/NIR instrument provides diagnostic support to the infrared retrievals from the AIRS instrument and several research products, including surface solar flux studies. The AIRS Vis/NIR is composed of three narrowband (channel 1: 0.40-0.44 /spl mu/m; channel 2: 0.58-0.68 /spl mu/m, and channel 3: 0.71-0.92 /spl mu/m) and one broadband (channel 4: 0.49-0.94 /spl mu/m) channel, each a linear detector array of nine pixels. It is calibrated onboard with three tungsten lamps. Vicarious calibrations using ground targets of known reflectance and a cross-calibration with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) augment the onboard calibration. One of AIRS Vis/NIR's principal supporting functions is the detection of low clouds to flag these conditions for atmospheric temperature retrievals. Once clouds are detected, a cloud height index is obtained based on the ratio (channel 2 - channel 3)/channel 1 that is sensitive to the partitioning of water vapor absorption above and below clouds. The determination of the surface solar radiation flux is principally based on channel 4 broadband measurements and the well-established relationship between top-of-the atmosphere (broadband) radiance and the surface irradiance.     

Remote sensing of water vapor in the near IR from EOS/MODIS

The LOWTRAN-7 code was used to simulate remote sensing of water vapor over 20 different surface covers. The simulation was used to optimize the water vapor channel selection and to test the accuracy of the remote sensing method. The channel selection minimizes the uncertainty in the derived water vapor due to variations in the spectral dependence of the surface reflectance. The selection also minimizes the sensitivity of the selected channels to possible drift in the channel position. The use of additional MODIS channels reduces the errors due to the effect of haze, subpixel clouds and uncertainties in the temperature profile. Remote sensing of the variation of water vapor from day to day will be more accurate, because the surface reflectances vary slowly with time. The method was applied to Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data     

Effects of neglecting polarization on the MODIS aerosol retrieval over land

Reflectance measurements in the visible and infrared wavelengths, from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), are used to derive aerosol optical thicknesses (AOTs) and aerosol properties over ocean and land surfaces, separately. Both algorithms employ radiative transfer (RT) code to create lookup tables, simulating the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance measured by the satellite. Whereas the algorithm over ocean uses a vector RT code that includes the effects of atmospheric polarization, the algorithm over land assumes scalar RT, thus neglecting polarization effects. In the red (0.66 /spl mu/m) and infrared (2.12 /spl mu/m) MODIS channels, scattering by molecules (Rayleigh scattering) is minimal. In these bands, the use of a scalar RT code is of sufficient accuracy to model TOA reflectance. However, in the blue (0.47 /spl mu/m), the presence of larger Rayleigh scattering (optical thickness approaching 0.2) results in nonnegligible polarization. The absolute difference between vector- and scalar-calculated TOA reflectance, even in the presence of depolarizing aerosols, is large enough to lead to substantial errors in retrieved AOT. Using RT code that allows for both vector and scalar calculations, we examine the reflectance differences at the TOA, assuming discrete loadings of continental-type aerosol. We find that the differences in blue channel TOA reflectance (vector-scalar) may be greater than 0.01 such that errors in derived AOT may be greater than 0.1. Errors may be positive or negative, depending on the specific geometry, and tend to cancel out when averages over a large enough sample of satellite geometry. Thus, the neglect of polarization introduces little error into global and long-term averages, yet can produce very large errors on smaller scales and individual retrievals. As a result of this study, a future version of aerosol retrieval from MODIS over land will include polarization within the atmosphere.     

Remote sensing of suspended sediments and shallow coastal waters

Ocean color sensors were designed mainly for remote sensing of chlorophyll concentrations over the clear open oceanic areas (Case 1 water) using channels between 0.4-0.86 /spl mu/m. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) launched on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Terra and Aqua spacecrafts is equipped with narrow channels located within a wider wavelength range between 0.4-2.5 /spl mu/m for a variety of remote sensing applications. The wide spectral range can provide improved capabilities for remote sensing of the more complex and turbid coastal waters (Case 2 water) and for improved atmospheric corrections for ocean scenes. We describe an empirical algorithm that uses this wide spectral range to identify areas with suspended sediments in turbid waters and shallow waters with bottom reflections. The algorithm takes advantage of the strong water absorption at wavelengths longer than 1 /spl mu/m that does not allow illumination of sediments in the water or a shallow ocean floor. MODIS data acquired over the east coast of China, west coast of Africa, Arabian Sea, Mississippi Delta, and west coast of Florida are used.     

Arctic sea ice, cloud, water, and lead classification using neural networks and 1.6-/spl mu/m data

Polar sea ice plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. Seasonal variation in sea ice extent, however, coupled with the difficulties associated with in situ observations of polar sea ice, makes remote sensing the only practical way to estimate this important climatic variable on the space and time scales required. Unfortunately, accurate retrieval of sea ice extent from satellite data is a difficult task. Sea ice and high cold clouds have similar visible reflectance, but some other types of clouds can appear darker than sea ice. Moreover, strong atmospheric inversions and isothermal structures, both common in winter at some polar locations, further complicate the classification. This paper uses a combination of feed-forward neural networks and 1.6-/spl mu/m data from the new Chinese Fengyun-1C satellite to mitigate these difficulties. The 1.6-/spl mu/m data are especially useful for detecting illuminated water clouds in polar regions because 1) at 1.6 /spl mu/m, the reflectance of water droplets is significantly higher than that of snow or ice and 2) 1.6-/spl mu/m data are unaffected by atmospheric inversions. Validation data confirm the accuracy of the new classification technique. Application to other sensors with 1.6-/spl mu/m capabilities also is discussed.     

A critical examination of the residual cloud contamination and diurnal sampling effects on MODIS estimates of aerosol over ocean

Observations of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard Terra and Aqua satellites are being used extensively for applications to climate and air quality studies. Data quality is essential for these studies. Here we investigate the effects of unresolved clouds on the MODIS measurements of the AOT. The main cloud effect is from residual cirrus that increases the AOT by 0.015/spl plusmn/0.003 at 0.55 /spl mu/m. In addition, lower level clouds can add contamination. We examine the effect of lower clouds using the difference between simultaneously measured MODIS and AERONET AOT. The difference is positively correlated with the cloud fraction. However, interpretation of this difference is sensitive to the definition of cloud contamination versus aerosol growth. If we consider this consistent difference between MODIS and AERONET to be entirely due to cloud contamination we get a total cloud contamination of 0.025/spl plusmn/0.005, though a more likely estimate is closer to 0.020 after accounting for aerosol growth. This reduces the difference between MODIS-observed global aerosol optical thickness over the oceans and model simulations by half, from 0.04 to 0.02. However it is insignificant for studies of aerosol cloud interaction. We also examined how representative are the MODIS data of the diurnal average aerosol. Comparison to monthly averaged sunphotometer data confirms that either the Terra or Aqua estimate of global AOT is a valid representation of the daily average. Though in the vicinity of aerosol sources such as fires, we do not expect this to be true.     

Virtual sensors: using data mining techniques to efficiently estimate remote sensing spectra

Various instruments are used to create images of the earth and other objects in the universe in a diverse set of wavelength bands with the aim of understanding natural phenomena. Sometimes these instruments are built in a phased approach, with additional measurement capabilities added in later phases. In other cases, technology may mature to the point that the instrument offers new measurement capabilities that were not planned in the original design of the instrument. In still other cases, high-resolution spectral measurements may be too costly to perform on a large sample, and therefore, lower resolution spectral instruments are used to take the majority of measurements. Many applied science questions that are relevant to the earth science remote sensing community require analysis of enormous amounts of data that were generated by instruments with disparate measurement capabilities. This work addresses this problem using virtual sensors: a method that uses models trained on spectrally rich (high spectral resolution) data to "fill in" unmeasured spectral channels in spectrally poor (low spectral resolution) data. The models we use Are multilayer perceptrons, support vector machines (SVMs) with radial basis function kernels, and SVMs with mixture density Mercer kernels. We demonstrate this method by using models trained on the high spectral resolution Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) instrument to estimate what the equivalent of the MODIS 1.6-/spl mu/m channel would be for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR/2) instrument. The scientific motivation for the simulation of the 1.6-/spl mu/m channel is to improve the ability of the AVHRR/2 sensor to detect clouds over snow and ice.     

基于MODIS云参数的卷云反射率计算研究

卷云反射率是天气、气候和地球能量平衡研究中关注的重要参数。卷云反射率的快速算法在遥感反演卷云特性参数中具有重要应用。依据卷云反射率随卷云光学厚度、有效尺度、太阳天顶角、观测天顶角、相对方位角等参数的变化,利用离散坐标法（Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer method,DISORT）计算卷云反射率,预先建立卷云反射率随相关参数变化的快速查找表,以此建立了卷云反射率的快速算法。将MODIS卫星探测的卷云光学厚度、太阳天顶角、观测天顶角、相对方位角等因素作为输入参数,计算得到了卷云反射率,比较了计算的卷云反射率和MODIS实际测量的卷云反射率值,相关系数达到0.94,平均偏差小于18.5%,说明了卷云快速算法计算合理可行。     

Terra MODIS on-orbit spectral characterization and performance

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) protoflight model onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Earth Observing System Terra spacecraft has been in operation for over five years since its launch in December 1999. It makes measurements using 36 spectral bands with wavelengths from 0.41 to 14.5 /spl mu/m. Bands 1-19 and 26 with wavelengths below 2.2 /spl mu/m, the reflective solar bands (RSBs), collect daytime reflected solar radiance at three nadir spatial resolutions: 0.25 km (bands 1-2), 0.5 km (bands 3-7), and 1 km (bands 8-19 and 26). Bands 20-25 and 27-36, the thermal emissive bands, collect both daytime and nighttime thermal emissions, at 1-km nadir spatial resolution. The MODIS spectral characterization was performed prelaunch at the system level. One of the MODIS onboard calibrators, the Spectroradiometric Calibration Assembly (SRCA), was designed to perform on-orbit spectral characterization of the MODIS RSB. This paper provides a brief overview of MODIS prelaunch spectral characterization, but focuses primarily on the algorithms and results of using the SRCA for on-orbit spectral characterization. Discussions are provided on the RSB center wavelength measurements and their relative spectral response retrievals, comparisons of on-orbit results with those from prelaunch measurements, and the dependence of center wavelength shifts on instrument temperature. For Terra MODIS, the center wavelength shifts over the past five years are less than 0.5 nm for most RSBs, indicating excellent stability of the instrument's spectral characteristics. Similar spectral performance has also been obtained from the Aqua MODIS (launched in May 2002) SRCA measurements.     

利用MODIS数据对北极夏季卷云特性的研究

利用2011~2014年MODIS云产品数据对北极地区夏季卷云的出现概率、云顶温度、云顶高度、光学厚度、有效粒径大小进行统计分析,并讨论了北极地区夏季卷云有效粒径大小和卷云高度的关系。结果表明,北极地区上空夏季卷云出现概率最高,水云较少。卷云云顶温度主要分布在230~272 K(即-43~-5℃),其云顶高度主要在2~8 km,4.5~6 km出现概率最大。卷云的光学厚度主要在小于10范围内。卷云的有效粒径在5~40 m之间,10~20 m出现概率最大。卷云的有效粒径和高度的关系与中纬度地区相反,北极地区卷云高度越高,卷云有效粒径越大。北极地区卷云随着纬度增大,卷云出现概率增加,卷云云顶温度降低,卷云高度增加,卷云有效粒径增大,卷云光学厚度增大。     

First results from the OMI rotational Raman scattering cloud pressure algorithm

We have developed an algorithm to retrieve scattering cloud pressures and other cloud properties with the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). The scattering cloud pressure is retrieved using the effects of rotational Raman scattering (RRS). It is defined as the pressure of a Lambertian surface that would produce the observed amount of RRS consistent with the derived reflectivity of that surface. The independent pixel approximation is used in conjunction with the Lambertian-equivalent reflectivity model to provide an effective radiative cloud fraction and scattering pressure in the presence of broken or thin cloud. The derived cloud pressures will enable accurate retrievals of trace gas mixing ratios, including ozone, in the troposphere within and above clouds. We describe details of the algorithm that will be used for the first release of these products. We compare our scattering cloud pressures with cloud-top pressures and other cloud properties from the Aqua Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. OMI and MODIS are part of the so-called A-train satellites flying in formation within 30 min of each other. Differences between OMI and MODIS are expected because the MODIS observations in the thermal infrared are more sensitive to the cloud top whereas the backscattered photons in the ultraviolet can penetrate deeper into clouds. Radiative transfer calculations are consistent with the observed differences. The OMI cloud pressures are shown to be correlated with the cirrus reflectance. This relationship indicates that OMI can probe through thin or moderately thick cirrus to lower lying water clouds.     

Intensity-dependent reflectance and transmittance of semiconductor periodic structures

The intensity-dependent response of nonlinear Bragg-periodic epitaxially-grown InGaAs-InAlGaAs-based optical elements is reported over a broad spectral range 1.3-1.6 /spl mu/m. Large changes in the transmittance and reflectance are observed as a function of incident power. Over most of this spectral region, the nonlinear response is dominated by the saturation of absorption. In the vicinity of 1.5 /spl mu/m, the optical elements exhibit fluence-dependent Bragg diffraction. For low incident powers, the indices of refraction of structures are uniform and no coherent scattering takes place. With increased incident power a Bragg grating appears, resulting in the emergence of a fluence-dependent stopband in the transmittance and reflectance spectra.     

A comparison of cloud droplet radii measured from space

Cloud droplet effective radius (CDR) can be estimated from the spectral signature of cloud reflectance. The technique has been applied to measurements of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer instrument and more recently to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Another technique relies on the directional signature of the polarized reflectance and has been applied to observations from Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances (POLDER) onboard Advanced Earth Observation Satellite (ADEOS). Although the latter technique requires very specific conditions, we argue that, when applicable, it is very accurate. A large fraction of successful POLDER estimates are derived from measurements over stratocumulus cloud fields. During portions of 2003, POLDER and MODIS acquired near coincident observations. The data can then be used for an evaluation of the two CDR products. The two datasets are highly correlated over the oceans albeit with a MODIS high bias of about 2 /spl mu/m. The correlation breaks down when POLDER retrieves small droplets (less than 7 /spl mu/m), which occurs over most land surfaces as well as polluted oceanic areas. We discuss the possible causes for biases and errors. Although differences in the two CDR estimates are expected because of the differences in the spatial scale and vertical weighting function, we did not find a fully satisfactory explanation for the bias and lack of correlation over land surfaces. It seems, however, that the spatial variability as seen by MODIS is larger than that deduced from POLDER measurements, in particular over land surfaces.     

Large-signal performance of deep submicrometer AlGaN/AlN/GaNHEMTs with a field-modulating plate

This is the first time that the microwave performance of a 0.1-/spl mu/m gate in a silicon nitride window opening, with a field-modulating plate on an AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterojunction structure, is reported. The material structure was grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on SiC substrates with an averaged channel sheet resistance of 313.5 ohms/square. Approximately 80-nm-thick plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition silicon nitride is used as the dielectric between gate metal extension and semiconductor surface. Transistors of a total gate width of 250 /spl mu/m and a 0.1 /spl mu/m gate footprint, with a 0.36 /spl mu/m long overhang on top of the silicon nitride, can be operated at a drain bias of 40-V high. Output power density of 9.5 W/mm, with 36% power-added efficiency in class AB regime, was demonstrated at 10 GHz in a continuous wave power measurement.     

Retrievals of profiles of fine and coarse aerosols using lidar and radiometric space measurements

The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spaceborne lidar, expected to be launched in 2004, will collect profiles of the lidar attenuated backscattering coefficients of aerosol and clouds at 0.53 and 1.06 /spl mu/m. The measurements are sensitive to the vertical distribution of aerosols. However, the information is insufficient to be mapped into unique aerosol physical properties and vertical distribution. Spectral radiances measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) on the Aqua spacecraft, acquired simultaneously with the CALIPSO observations, can constrain the solutions. The combination of the MODIS and CALIPSO data can be used to derive extinction profiles of the fine and coarse modes of the aerosol size distribution for aerosol optical thickness of 0.1 and larger. Here we describe a new inversion method developed to invert simultaneously MODIS and CALIPSO data over glint-free ocean. The method is applied to aircraft lidar and MODIS data collected over a dust storm off the coast of West Africa during the Saharan Dust Experiment (SHADE). The backscattering-to-extinction ratio (BER) (BER=/spl omega//sub o/P(180)/4/spl pi/) can be retrieved from the synergism between measurements avoiding a priori hypotheses required for inverting lidar measurements alone. For dust, the resultant value of BER =0.016 sr/sup -1/ is over 50% smaller than what is expected using Mie theory, but in good agreement with recent results obtained from Raman lidar observations of dust episodes. The inversion is robust in the presence of 10% and 20% noise in the lidar signal at 0.53 and 1.06 /spl mu/m, respectively. Calibration errors of the lidar of 5% to 10% can cause an error in optical thickness of 20% to 40%, respectively, in the tested cases.     

Measuring trace gases in plumes from hyperspectral remotely sensed data

A method [joint reflectance and gas estimator (JRGE)] is developed to estimate a set of atmospheric gas concentrations in an unknown surface reflectance context from hyperspectral images. It is applicable for clear atmospheres without any aerosol in a spectral range between approximately 800 and 2500 nm. Standard gas by gas methods yield a 6% rms error in H/sub 2/O retrieval from Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, reaching several tens percent for a set of widespread ground materials and resulting from an simplifying assumption of linear variations of the reflectance model within gas absorption bands and partial accounting of the gas induced signal. JRGE offers a theoretical framework consisting in a two steps algorithm that accounts for sensor characteristics, assumptions on gas concentrations and reflectance variations. It estimates variations in gas concentrations relatively to a standard atmosphere model. An adaptive cubic smoothing spline like estimation of the reflectance is first performed. Concentrations of several gaseous species are then simultaneously retrieved using a nonlinear procedure based on radiative transfer calculations. Applied to AVIRIS spectra simulated from reflectance databases and sensor characteristics, JRGE reduces the errors in H/sub 2/O retrieval to 2.87%. For an AVIRIS image acquired over the Quinault prescribed fire, far field CO/sub 2/ estimate (348 ppm, about 6% to 7% rms) is in agreement with in situ measurement (345-350 ppm) and aerosols yield an underestimation of total atmospheric CO/sub 2/ content equal to 5.35% about 2 km downwind the fire. JRGE smoothes and interpolates the reflectance for gas estimation but also provides nonsmoothed reflectance spectra. JRGE is shown to preserve various mineral absorption features included in the AVIRIS image of Cuprite Mining District test site.     

Atmospheric correction of hyperspectral data over dark surfaces via simulated annealing

A method [atmospheric correction via simulated annealing (ACSA)] is proposed that enhances the atmospheric correction of hyperspectral images over dark surfaces. It is based on the minimization of a smoothness criterion to avoid the assumption of linear variations of the reflectance within gas absorption bands. We first show that this commonly used approach generally fails over dark surfaces when the signal to noise ratio strongly declines. In this case, important residual features highly correlated with the shape of gas absorption bands are observed in the estimated surface reflectance. We add a geometrical constraint to deal with this correlation. A simulated annealing approach is used to solve this constrained optimization problem. The parameters involved in the implementation of the algorithm (initial temperature, number of iterations, cooling schedule, and correlation threshold) are automatically determined by using a standard simulated annealing theory, reflectance databases, and sensor characteristics. Applied to a HyMap image with available ground truths, we verify that ACSA adequately recovers ground reflectance over clear land surfaces, and that the added spectral shape constraint does not introduce any spurious feature in the spectrum. The analysis of an AVIRIS image of Central Switzerland clearly shows the ability of the method to perform enhanced water vapor estimations over dark surfaces. Over a lake (reflectance equal to 0.02, low signal to noise ratio equal to about 6), ACSA retrieves unbiased water vapor amounts (2.86 cm/spl plusmn/0.36 cm) in agreement with in situ measurements (2.97 cm/spl plusmn/0.30 cm). This corresponds to a reduction of the standard deviation by a factor 3 in comparison with standard unconstrained procedures (1.95 cm/spl plusmn/1.08 cm). Similar results are obtained using a Hyperion image of DoE ARM SGP test site containing a very dark area of the land surface.     

Continuously tunable 1.55-/spl mu/m VCSEL implemented by precisely curved dielectric top DBR involving tailored stress

We present an optically pumped and continuously tunable 1.55-/spl mu/m vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The device shows 26-nm spectral tuning range, 400-/spl mu/W maximum output power, and 57-dBm side-mode suppression ratio. The VCSEL is implemented using a two-chip concept. The movable top mirror membrane is precisely designed to obtain a tailored air-gap length (L'=16 /spl mu/m) and a radius of curvature (ROC=4.5mm) in order to efficiently support the fundamental optical mode of the plane-concave resonator. It consists of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) with periodic, differently stressed silicon nitride and silicon dioxide multilayers implemented by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The lower InP-based part, comprising the InP-InGaAsP bottom DBR and the active region, is grown monolithically using metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy.