Patent ID: 8184929

Claim:
An optical tuning method comprising the steps: producing a plurality of optical signals with a plurality of first optical components provided on a semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of optical signals having a corresponding one of a plurality of emission wavelengths; coupling each of the plurality of optical signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of second optical components provided on the semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of second optical components superimposing a respective one of a plurality of tones onto a corresponding one of the plurality of optical signals; combining the plurality of optical signals in a third optical component provided on the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of optical signals being combined into an output signal provided at an output of the third optical component; recovering the plurality of tones from a portion of the output signal; identifying a desired emission wavelength, the desired emission wavelength being associated with one of the plurality of tones; tuning one of the plurality of emission wavelengths by reducing a spectral difference between said one of the plurality of emission wavelengths and the desired emission wavelength; and coupling each of the plurality of optical signals to a corresponding one of a plurality of fourth optical components on the semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of fourth optical components attenuating a corresponding one of the plurality of optical signals, wherein each of the plurality of optical signals has a corresponding one of a plurality of optical power values at an output of a corresponding one of the plurality of fourth optical components, one of the plurality of optical power values being different than remaining ones of the plurality of optical power values.