Patent ID: 7949028

Claim:
A method of tuning a semiconductor laser, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a semiconductor laser, the semiconductor laser comprising a semiconductor active region disposed between a first semiconductor confining layer and a second semiconductor confining layer; a plurality of first electrode elements coupled with the first confining layer, at least a portion of each of the first electrode elements being spaced apart from each other; at least one second electrode coupled with the second confining layer; a plurality of optically coupled micro-cavities, each of the optically coupled micro-cavities being defined by an associated one of said plurality of first electrode elements; a first micro-cavity reflector formed from at least one of the optically coupled micro-cavities; a second micro-cavity reflector formed from at least one of the optically coupled micro-cavities; a plurality of inter-cavity spacings, each of the inter-cavity spacings being a region between an adjacent pair of optically coupled micro-cavities; at least one of the optically coupled micro-cavities having a first reflective end and a second reflective end; and a gain section associated with the first optically coupled micro-cavity and having an associated electrode for passing current selectively to the gain section; and (b) tuning the first micro-cavity reflector and the second micro-cavity reflector by varying amounts of electrical current injected into the first micro-cavity reflector and the second micro-cavity reflector to, in turn, substantially align a first reflective wavelength peak associated with the first micro-cavity reflector and a second reflective wavelength peak associated with the second micro-cavity reflector to form a supermode dominant resonance.