Wavelength tunable laser and optical device
US6700910B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 15, 2000 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 15, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2301/176
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In order to form a wavelength tunable laser capable of tuning a wave over a wide range by simple control means, a thin film heater is mounted either over an upper electrode of a ridge waveguide semiconductor laser having ridge waveguides on a semiconductor substrate or over the semiconductor substrate and on both sides of the ridge waveguide with a gap of a few &mgr;m. By controlling a current passed to the thin film heater, the oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser is tuned. In the case where the thin film heater is mounted over an upper electrode of a ridge waveguide, a nonconductor is formed on both sides of the ridge conductor to more efficiently enable heat from the heater to reach an active layer of the ridge waveguide more efficiently.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.