Opto-electronic system and method

A method of improved tuning of an integrated semiconductor-based tunable laser source of an opto-electronic system, the opto-electronic system comprising:

• a PIC that comprises:
• a semiconductor-based tunable laser source that is configurable to achieve single-mode lasing thereby emitting optical radiation having a predefined linewidth at a predefined operating wavelength;
• an optical measurement unit that is configured and arranged to:
• receive the optical radiation emitted by the semiconductor-based tunable laser source;
• and
• provide at least one signal that is representative for the received optical radiation;
• and
• a control unit that is operatively connected with the semiconductor-based tunable laser source and the optical measurement unit of the PIC, the control unit being configured to:
• receive first input including a setpoint value for the predefined operating wavelength of the semiconductor-based tunable laser source at which the optical radiation is to be emitted;
• generate first control settings on the basis of the received first input;
• provide the generated first control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable emission of optical radiation at the predefined operating wavelength;
• receive said at least one signal that is representative for said received optical radiation;
• determine the operating wavelength of said received optical radiation on the basis of said received at least one signal;
• determine a wavelength shift between said predefined setpoint value for the predefined operating wavelength and said determined operating wavelength;
• generate first adjusted control settings on the basis of said determined wavelength shift;
• and
• provide the generated first adjusted control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable at least reducing said determined wavelength shift thereby enabling locking of the predefined operating wavelength of the semiconductor-based tunable laser source;
• and wherein the control unit is configured to:
• receive second input including a setpoint value for relative intensity noise of the optical radiation that is to be emitted by the semiconductor-based tunable laser source;
• generate second control settings on the basis of the received second input;
• provide the generated second control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable emission of optical radiation having the setpoint value for the relative intensity noise;
• receive said at least one signal that is representative for said received optical radiation;
• determine the relative intensity noise of said received optical radiation on the basis of said received at least one signal;
• determine an offset between said setpoint value for the relative intensity noise and said determined relative intensity noise;
• generate second adjusted control settings on the basis of said determined offset;
• and
• provide the generated second adjusted control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable at least reducing said determined offset thereby enabling controlling of the predefined linewidth of the emitted optical radiation;
• wherein the method comprises:
• operating the control unit to generate first control settings on the basis of the received first input;
• operating the control unit to provide the generated first control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable emission of optical radiation at the predefined operating wavelength;
• operating the optical measurement unit to provide said at least one signal that is representative for said received optical radiation to the control unit;
• operating the control unit to determine the operating wavelength of said received optical radiation on the basis of said received at least one signal;
• operating the control unit to determine the wavelength shift between said predefined setpoint value for the predefined operating wavelength and said determined operating wavelength;
• operating the control unit to generate first adjusted control settings on the basis of said determined wavelength shift;
• and
• operating the control unit to provide the generated first adjusted control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable at least reducing said determined wavelength shift thereby enabling locking of the predefined operating wavelength of the semiconductor-based tunable laser source;
• operating the control unit to generate second control settings on the basis of the received second input;
• operating the control unit to provide the generated second control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable emission of optical radiation having the setpoint value for the relative intensity noise;
• operating the optical measurement unit to provide said at least one signal that is representative for said received optical radiation to the control unit;
• operating the control unit to determine the relative intensity noise of said received optical radiation on the basis of said received at least one signal;
• operating the control unit to determine the offset between said setpoint value for the relative intensity noise and said determined relative intensity noise;
• operating the control unit to generate second adjusted control settings on the basis of said determined offset;
• and
• operating the control unit to provide the generated second adjusted control settings to the semiconductor-based tunable laser source to enable at least reducing said determined offset thereby enabling controlling of the predefined linewidth of the emitted optical radiation.