Patent ID: 9054480
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: G02B,H01S

Abstract:
1. A small, packaged tunable laser comprising: a rectangular housing having a volume of less than 0.6 cubic centimeters, with six planar exterior walls including a bottom, a top, opposing first and second ends, and opposing sidewalls, the exterior walls forming a hermetically sealed interior space that includes a major axis that extends through the first and second ends; an electrical input interface positioned on the exterior of the housing; an optical output interface positioned on the exterior of the housing and aligned with the major axis, the optical output interface configured to transmit a continuous wave optical beam; a semiconductor optical amplifier positioned in the interior space having a first end portion, and a second end position, the second end portion being operable to emit a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength; an optical isolator positioned in the interior space of the housing and in the path of the laser beam downstream of the optical amplifier to prevent the light from the downstream optical elements from reflecting back into the cavity of the laser; a first beam splitter positioned in the interior space of the housing downstream of the optical isolator and in the path of the laser beam for producing a first optical beam and a second optical beam; coupling optics in the interior space of the housing and downstream of the first beam splitter for coupling the first optical beam to the optical output interface; and tunable filter having an input end, in the path of the second optical beam and an output end, the output beam emitted from the output end being coupled to the first end portion of the semiconductor optical amplifier.