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US 2003/0193974 A1Published application
Tunable multi-wavelength laser device
OwnerRobert Frankel, John Hooseinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tunable external cavity multi-wavelength laser device employs a stationary, electrically and/or thermally tunable solid state immersion grating as a wavelength-selective element. The laser device significantly reduces the number of lasers required to span the ITU grid in DWDM applications.
Claims20
Wavelength-tunable multi-wavelength light source comprising
- a plurality of optical emitters, each emitter capable of optical emission over a corresponding first wavelength range;
- a first mirror device and a second mirror device forming an external cavity, with said plurality of optical emitters located between said first mirror device and said second mirror device;
- a wavelength-selective element in form of a stationary tunable immersion grating located between the first mirror device and first facets of said plurality of optical emitters facing said wavelength-selective element, said wavelength-selective element wavelength-selectively diffracting the optical emission emitted by an emitter for wavelength-selective return to said emitter;
- and
- tuning means connected to said wavelength-selective element for changing a physical property of said wavelength-selective element,
- wherein a change in the physical property of said wavelength-selective element changes a wavelength of said returned optical emission within said corresponding first wavelength range of the optical emitter.
3 more elements
Wavelength-tunable multi-wavelength laser light source comprising
- a plurality of optical emitters, each optical emitter capable of optical emission over a corresponding wavelength range;
- a wavelength-selective element in form of a stationary tunable immersion grating wavelength-selectively diffracting the optical emission emitted by an emitter and returning the diffracted optical emission to said emitter;
- an external cavity to provide a round-trip gain;
- and
- tuning means connected to said wavelength-selective element for changing a physical property of said wavelength-selective element,
- wherein a change in a physical property of said wavelength-selective element changes a wavelength of said diffracted optical emission within said corresponding wavelength range of the optical emitter.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.