Open AccessSingle-electrode-tuned mode-hop-free tunable laser based on ring coupled cavity
Author(s) -
Lei Wang,
JianJun He
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.019940
Subject(s) - resonator , optics , materials science , electrode , free spectral range , waveguide , optical cavity , optoelectronics , laser , single mode optical fiber , physics , quantum mechanics
A novel tunable laser which can achieve mode-hop-free single-electrode tuning based on a ring coupled cavity is proposed. The device comprises of a passive ring resonator coupled to two optical waveguides, two far ends of which are terminated by partially reflecting mirrors to constitute a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. The waveguide in the ring resonator is divided into a tuning segment and a bias segment. The FP cavity contains an active gain waveguide and passive waveguide segments. A tuning electrode covers the tuning segment inside the ring resonator and the passive waveguide segments in the FP cavity. Mode-hop-free operation with a single-electrode tuning is achieved by properly designing the tuning electrode lengths within the FP cavity and within the ring resonator. Numerical analysis shows that a large mode-hop-free tuning range (>6 nm) with a very high single-mode selectivity can be achieved with an injection current less than 100 mA.