Patent ID: 7023886

Claim:
A tunable laser comprising: a gain means with an active emission section which generates optical energy; a first and a second aligned asynchronous waveguides extending from the gain means, the first waveguide having a first end adjacent to the active emission section for receiving the optical energy generated by the active emission section; a substrate supporting the first waveguide, the second waveguide, and the gain means; an optical coupler positioned to provide optical coupling between the first and the second waveguides at a coupling wavelength where the first and the second waveguides are substantially transparent to the optical energy at the coupling wavelength; a reflector positioned to reflect the optical energy propagating along the second waveguide if the optical energy has a wavelength that is one of a plurality of reflection wavelengths; thermo-optical organic material having an index of refraction that varies in response to changes in temperature and positioned to shift the coupling wavelength in response to changes of temperature in the thermo-optical organic material; and means for changing the temperature in the thermo-optical organic material positioned to shift the coupling wavelength.