Patent ID: 6901088
Filing Date: 2005-05-31
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A laser, comprising: a gain medium having first and second output facets, the gain medium emitting a coherent beam from the first output facet along an optical path; an end mirror located in the optical path, the end mirror and the second output facet defining an external cavity; a laser mode selector positioned in the optical path before the end mirror; a laser mode tuning assembly operatively coupled to the end mirror to adjust the position of the end mirror to adjust the optical path length of the external cavity to lock the laser onto a peak of a first passband, the first passband representing the laser mode; a laser channel selector positioned in the optical path; and a laser channel tuning assembly operatively coupled to the laser channel selector to adjust the position of the laser channel selector to lock the laser channel onto a peak of a second passband, the second passband representing the laser channel, the laser channel tuning assembly further coupled to adjust the position of the laser channel selector to unlock the laser channel from the peak of the second passband, while the laser mode tuning assembly is to maintain the laser mode locked onto the first passband.