Patent · US Expired

Wavelength-changeable light source capable of changing wavelength of output light, optical communication network using the same and wavelength control method for controlling wavelength

US6104516A · kind A · utility

53Cited by
11References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 10, 1997
Grant dateAug 15, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/06808
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a wavelength-changeable light source of the present invention, a wavelength control is performed using a plurality of control systems when the wavelength of a laser, particularly a semiconductor laser, is to be controlled. Wavelength control characteristics of the respective control systems are different from each other, and the wavelength control can be flexibly carried out by combining those characteristics. Specifically, one of the plural control systems is a current control unit for controlling a current supplied to the semiconductor laser and another thereof is a temperature control unit for controlling temperature of the semiconductor laser. In the structure, the wavelength shift with a speedy response time, which can be attained in a wavelenth-changeable range obtainable by the current control, can be carried out over a wide wavelength-changeable range obtainable by the temperature control.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.