Patent ID: 7224708

Claim:
A tunable laser for generating a laser light over a laser bandwidth, the laser comprising, a heater for conducting a heater current for generating heat for heating the laser over a heat range, the heater is made of an organometalic material comprising a metal and an organic material, and a laser material, the laser material conducting a laser current for generating the laser light over the laser bandwidth, the wavelength of the laser light changing over the laser bandwidth over the heat range, wherein the laser is a semiconductor device and the heater is deposited on the semiconductor by a focused ion beam, the laser controlled by an external heater current source for providing the heater current and controlled by an external laser current source for providing the laser current, the laser further comprising, a first portion of an insulating layer for isolating the heater from the laser material, a pair of heater pads disposed on the first portion for conducting the heater current though the heater, a laser pad for conducting the laser current, a laser p contact disposed on the laser material and connected to the laser pad, a laser n contact disposed on the laser material, the laser p contact and laser n contact for conducting the laser current through the laser material, and a waveguide disposed in the laser material, the waveguide for collecting and propagating the laser light, wherein, the laser bandwidth is 857 GHz, and the heater current is between zero and 13.0 mA.