Patent ID: 7286588

Claim:
An optoelectronic device, comprising a semiconductor laser for generating optical radiation, and a grating structure for stabilizing the optical wavelength of said optical radiation against temperature induced changes, wherein: the laser includes a laser cavity defined by a first end facet and a second end facet, the first end facet having a low reflectivity for substantially transmitting said generated optical radiation from said cavity and for suppressing Fabry-Perot modes of the laser cavity relative to at least one grating mode, and the second end facet being a high reflectivity facet for substantially reflecting said generated optical radiation within said cavity; the laser and grating structure are arranged so that the grating structure stabilizes the optical wavelength of said generated optical radiation between a longer wavelength operating limit λ L and a shorter wavelength operating limit λ S when the temperature of the laser varies between, respectively, an upper temperature limit and a lower temperature limit; the low reflectivity of the first end facet extends beyond both λ L and λ S to, respectively, a maximum wavelength λ MAX and a minimum wavelength λ MIN beyond which the reflectivity of the first end facet rises and no longer suppresses Fabry-Perot modes of the laser cavity, wherein the high reflectivity of the second end facet does not extend fully between λ S and λ MIN so that Fabry-Perot modes having a wavelength between λ S and λ MIN are additionally suppressed relative said at least one grating mode, and wherein said at least one grating mode has a threshold current vs temperature curve which is below a threshold current vs temperature curve for said suppressed Fabry-Perot modes at any given temperature between said upper temperature limit and said lower temperature limit.