Wavelength bandwidth expansion for tuning or chirping with a silicon photonic external cavity tunable laser

A tunable solid-state laser device comprising:

• a semiconductor-based gain chip;
• and
• a silicon photonic filter chip with tuning capability,
• wherein the silicon photonic filter chip comprises:
• a connection silicon waveguide,
• a heater interfaced with the connection silicon waveguide,
• at least two ring resonators formed with silicon waveguides,
• one or more interfacing silicon waveguides coupled with the at least two ring resonators, and
• a respective heater associated with each ring resonator of the at least two ring resonators,
• wherein a chirp signal is sent simultaneously to the respective heater associated with each ring resonator to extend a chirped bandwidth,
• wherein the at least two ring resonators are designed to have the same thermal properties such that a single signal can provide for a synchronized chirp of the at least two ring resonators,
• wherein the connection silicon waveguide of the silicon photonic filter chip is coupled to the semiconductor-based gain chip with a spot size converter to provide for mode size matching to reduce loss due to an interface between the connection silicon waveguide and the semiconductor-based gain chip, and
• wherein chirping a voltage of the heater interfaced with the connection silicon waveguide chirps a laser output frequency.

A tunable solid-state laser device comprising:

• a semiconductor-based gain chip;
• and
• a silicon photonic filter chip with tuning capability,
• wherein the silicon photonic filter chip comprises:
• a connection silicon waveguide coupled to the semiconductor-based gain chip,
• a heater interfaced with the connection silicon waveguide,
• at least two ring resonators formed with silicon waveguides,
• one or more interfacing silicon waveguides coupled with the at least two ring resonators, and
• a respective heater associated with each ring resonator of the at least two ring resonators,
• wherein the one or more interfacing silicon waveguides are configured to redirect light resonant with each of the at least two ring resonators back through the connection silicon waveguide,
• wherein a chirp signal is sent simultaneously to the respective heater associated with each ring resonator to extend a chirped bandwidth,
• wherein the at least two ring resonators are designed to have the same thermal properties such that a single signal can provide for a synchronized chirp of the at least two ring resonators,
• wherein a cavity phase is modulated using:
• a controller configured to adjust a driving power to the semiconductor-based gain chip;
• a cavity phase modulator on the silicon photonic filter chip;
• or
• both the controller and the cavity phase modulator, and
• wherein chirping a voltage of the heater interfaced with the connection silicon waveguide chirps a laser output frequency.