Patent ID: 9209602
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A monolithically integrated, tunable semiconductor laser with an optical waveguide, comprising epitaxial layers on a substrate and having first and second reflectors bounding an optical gain section and one or more passive sections, wherein at least one of the reflectors is a distributed Bragg reflector section configured to have a tunable reflection spectrum, wherein a common earth electrode is provided that electrically contacts the same side of the optical waveguide as the substrate, wherein control electrodes are provided to at least the optical gain section and the distributed Bragg reflector section, that electrically contact on the opposite side of the optical waveguide from the substrate, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to support only a single transverse optical mode, and wherein each of the one or more passive sections have a length of at least 100 μm, each of the one or more passive sections are is without an electrical contact directly contacting the opposite side of the optical waveguide from the substrate each of the one or more passive sections comprises at least one epitaxial layer that differs from epitaxial layers in the optical gain section, and each of the one or more passive sections are without a reflective Bragg grating within their epitaxial layers.