Wavelength tunable optical components

An integrated optical component comprising:

• a substrate supporting a first and a second aligned asynchronous waveguides;
• an optical coupler positioned to provide optical coupling between the first and the second waveguides at a coupling wavelength where the first and the second waveguides are substantially transparent to optical energy at the coupling wavelength;
• a reflector positioned to reflect optical energy propagating along the second waveguide if the optical energy has a wavelength that is one of a plurality of reflection wavelengths;
• thermo-optical organic material having an index of refraction that varies in response to changes in temperature and positioned to shift the coupling wavelength in response to changes of temperature in the thermo-optical organic material;
• and
• means for changing the temperature in the thermo-optical organic material positioned to shift the coupling wavelength.

An optical coupler comprising:

• a substrate supporting a first and a second aligned asynchronous waveguides, the first and the second aligned asynchronous waveguides having a first and a second end;
• optical coupling means positioned to provide optical coupling between the first and the second waveguides at a coupling wavelength where the first and the second waveguides are substantially transparent to the optical energy at the coupling wavelength;
• thermo-optical organic material having an index of refraction that varies in response to changes in temperature and positioned to shift the coupling wavelength in response to changes of temperature in the thermo-optical organic material;
• means for changing the temperature in the thermo-optical organic material positioned to shift the coupling wavelength;
• the first end of the first waveguide being terminated to pass optical energy and the second end of the first waveguide being terminated to prevent optical energy not coupled to the second waveguide by the optical coupling means from re-entering the first waveguide;
• and
• the first end of the second waveguide being terminated to prevent optical energy not coupled to the first waveguide by the optical coupling means from reflecting back along the second.

A tunable laser comprising:

• a gain means with an active emission section which generates optical energy, the active emission section having a first and a second facet;
• a substrate supporting the gain means and a first and a second aligned asynchronous waveguides, the first and the second aligned asynchronous waveguides having a first and a second end;
• optical coupling means positioned to provide optical coupling between the first and the second waveguides at a coupling wavelength where the first and the second waveguides are substantially transparent to the optical energy at the coupling wavelength;
• thermo-optical organic material having an index of refraction that varies in response to changes in temperature and positioned to shift the coupling wavelength in response to changes of temperature in the thermo-optical organic material;
• means for changing the temperature in the thermo-optical organic material positioned to shift the coupling wavelength;
• the first end of the first waveguide being adjacent to the first facet of the active emission section and the second end of the first waveguide being terminated to prevent optical energy not coupled to the second waveguide by the optical coupling means from re-entering the first waveguide;
• and
• the first end of the second waveguide being terminated to prevent optical energy not coupled to the first waveguide by the optical coupling means from reflecting back along the second waveguide.

A tunable laser comprising:

• a gain means with an active emission section which generates optical energy;
• a first and a second aligned asynchronous waveguides extending from the gain means, the first waveguide having a first end adjacent to the active emission section for receiving the optical energy generated by the active emission section;
• a substrate supporting the first waveguide, the second waveguide, and the gain means;
• a reflective grating assisted coupler providing reflective optical coupling between the first and the second waveguides at a coupling wavelength where the first and the second waveguides are substantially transparent to the optical energy at the coupling wavelength;
• and
• a reflector positioned to reflect the optical energy on the second waveguide if the optical energy has a wavelength that is one of a plurality of reflection wavelengths.

An integrated optical component comprising:

• a substrate supporting a first and a second aligned asynchronous waveguides;
• a reflective grating assisted coupler providing reflective optical coupling between the first and the second waveguides at a coupling wavelength where the first and the second waveguides are substantially transparent to the optical energy at the coupling wavelength;
• and
• a reflector positioned to reflect the optical energy on the second waveguide if the optical energy has a wavelength that is one of a plurality of reflection wavelengths.

An integrated tunable optical filter comprising:

• a substrate made of a semiconductor material;
• a first section on the substrate forming a transmission filter having a low spectral selectivity, the first section including a first waveguide system with a first and a second waveguide, a periodic rib shaped structure adjacent at least one of the waveguides defining a filter response with a coupling wavelength, and thermo-optical organic material having an index of refraction that varies in response to changes in temperature and positioned to shift the coupling wavelength in response to changes of temperature in the thermo-optical organic material positioned to shift the coupling wavelength;
• a second section on the substrate forming a reflector with a spectral reflection with a plurality of reflection peaks, the second section including a third waveguide coupled to the first waveguide system in the first section, and thermo-optical organic material having an index of refraction that varies in response to changes in temperature and positioned to shift the plurality of reflection peaks in response to changes in temperature in the thermo-optical organic material positioned to shift the plurality of reflection peaks;
• first means for changing the temperature in the first thermo-optical organic material, the filter response of the first section being shifted in wavelength over a range covering a plurality of reflection peaks in the second section;
• and
• second means for changing the temperature in the second thermo-optical organic material, the reflection spectrum of the second section being shifted in wavelength and one reflection peak of the plurality of reflection peaks corresponding to the coupling wavelength of the first section;
• wherein the optical filter has a reflection response with a narrow bandwidth and wide tunability.