Widely tunable lasers based on mode-hop-free semiconductor laser array

摘要

Integration of mode-hop-free tunable laser array and a semiconductor optical amplifier is most reliable approach to realize widely tunable lasers. We have developed two types of tunable lasers, one is a thermally tunable DFB laser array for DWDM tunable transponders, which has shown high power and wide tunability covering C-band or L-band, housing in compact butterfly packages with robust wavelength locker. Another is a short-cavity DBR laser array for optical burst switching, whose lasing frequency can be monotonously tuned and locked on the ITU grid within 5 microseconds. Both lasers have demonstrated superior performances in system experiments.