Patent ID: 8326151

Claim:
A multi-channel WDM light source comprising: an incoherent light source that generates a broadband incoherent light; an optical circulator coupled to the incoherent light source; a demultiplexer coupled to the optical circulator, wherein the optical circulator is configured to route the broadband incoherent light to the demultiplexer and to separate an output of the demultiplexer from the broadband incoherent light, wherein the demultiplexer is configured to receive the broadband incoherent light, to slice spectrally the broadband incoherent light to produce a plurality of narrow-band incoherent lights; and a plurality of light sources capable of lasing that are connected at output ends of the demultiplexer, wherein the demultiplexer is further configured to multiplex outputs of the plurality of light sources capable of lasing, wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources capable of lasing is configured to emit a wavelength-selective output locked by one of the narrow-band incoherent lights, wherein the at least one of the plurality of light sources capable of lasing is configured to be modulated directly, wherein the at least one of the plurality of light sources capable of lasing is configured to have a side mode suppression ratio of the wavelength-selective output increased by increasing a power of the one of the narrow-band incoherent lights.