Patent ID: 6339603
Filing Date: 2002-01-15
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A semiconductor tunable laser system, comprising:a front reflector and a back reflector defining a laser cavity; a semiconductor chip functioning as a laser gain medium within the laser cavity, the semiconductor chip being polarization anisotropic to only amplify light of an amplification polarization; a filter within the laser cavity having a tunable passband for selecting a wavelength of operation of the laser system; a first polarization rotator between semiconductor chip and the tunable filter that rotates a polarization of light that is emitted from the semiconductor chip and that is outside of the passband of the tunable filter such that a polarization of the rejected light is substantially orthogonal to the amplification polarization upon returning to the semiconductor chip; and a second polarization rotator in the laser cavity that cooperates with the first polarization rotator to rotate a polarization of light that is emitted from the semiconductor chip and that is within a passband of the tunable filter such that a polarization of the passed light is substantially parallel to the amplification polarization upon returning to the semiconductor chip.