Thermal compensators for waveguide DBR laser sources
US5870417A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 21, 1997 |
| Grant date | Feb 9, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/4087
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A waveguide DBR laser or waveguide DBR laser array may be comprised of a semiconductor gain element, or a series of semiconductor gain elements, in combination with a waveguide grating functioning as a resonant cavity end reflector for lasing operation comprising either an optical fiber having a fiber grating (fiber DBR laser) or a planar waveguide (planar waveguide DBR laser). The gain element may be comprised of a laser diode which has high efficient AR coating on its front facet so that it functions as a modulated gain element in a resonant cavity established between its rear HR facet and the grating formed in the external waveguide. Disclosed are ways to form this resonant cavity so that gain element modulation rates can be carried out in excess of 2 Gb/sec with suppression of longitudinal mode hops and/or with trimming to compensate for wavelength changes, rendering the waveguide DBR laser or waveguide DBR laser array highly suitable for WDM transmitter, dense WDM transmission systems and other communications applications.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.