Wavelength tunable external cavity laser
AssigneeMars Technology
InventorRuolin Li
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a wavelength tunable laser and a method for wavelength tuning a laser is disclosed. The wavelength tunable laser can include an active portion including a photonic integrated circuit including an optical waveguide including an optical gain section, a grating section, a phase control section and an anti-reflection coating arranged at opposite ends of the optical waveguide; a passive portion including an optical etalon and a reflective mirror arranged to provide feedback to the active portion to generate beam of laser light; and a controller arranged to control the active portion, the passive portion or both the active portion and the passive portion to generate tuning of the lasing wavelength.
Claims20
A wavelength tunable laser comprising:
- an active portion comprising a photonic integrated circuit comprising an optical waveguide comprising an optical gain section, a grating section, a phase control section and an anti-reflection coating arranged at opposite ends of the optical waveguide;
- a passive portion comprising an optical etalon and a reflective surface or mirror arranged to provide wavelength selective feedback to the active portion to generate beam of laser light;
- and
- a controller arranged to control the active portion, the passive portion or both the active portion and the passive portion to generate tuning of the lasing wavelength.
A wavelength tunable laser comprising:
- an active portion comprising:
- an optical waveguide comprising a phase control section near a first end, a grating section near a second end and a gain section arranged between the first and the second end of the waveguide, wherein the first end comprises a first antireflection coating and the second end comprising a second antireflection coating;
- a passive portion comprising:
- a first optical element arranged to receive and collimate radiation emitted from the optical waveguide;
- an optical etalon;
- a second optical element comprising a reflective surface arranged to receive radiation transmitted by the optical etalon and reflect the radiation back to the optical etalon;
- and
- a controller arranged to control the active portion, the passive portion or both the active portion and the passive portion to generate tuning of the lasing wavelength.
A method for wavelength tuning a laser comprising:
- providing an active portion comprising a photonic integrated circuit comprising an optical waveguide comprising an optical gain section, a grating section, a phase control section and an anti-reflection coating arranged at opposite ends of the optical waveguide;
- providing a passive portion comprising an optical etalon arranged to provide feedback to the active portion to generate beam of laser light;
- and
- controlling, by a controller, the active portion, the passive portion or both the active portion and the passive portion to generate tuning of the lasing wavelength.
A method for wavelength tuning a laser comprising:
- providing a reflective grating section in an active portion of a laser system, wherein the grating section is arranged to partially reflect photons back to the active portion at selective wavelengths;
- and
- providing an etalon in a passive portion of the laser system, wherein the etalon is arranged to include a transmission spectrum that functions as an wavelength filter and provides an external feedback to the active portion of the laser system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.