Patent ID: 8675695

Claim:
A method comprising the following steps: (a) determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state, the laser having a laser current, a laser temperature, and an output light having a wavelength; (b) if the laser is determined to not be operating in a single-mode state in step (a), determining a degree to which one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that the laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state, wherein the one or more tunable parameters is selected from the group consisting of the laser current, the laser temperature, and the wavelength of the output light; (c) adjusting the one or more tunable parameters of the laser by an amount determined in step (b); (d) determining if one or more measured parameters of the laser are within a desired range after the adjustment made in step (c), wherein the one or more measured parameters include laser output power and laser wavelength; (e) if the one or more measured parameters are determined in step (d) to not be within the desired range, determining a new adjustment to the one or more tunable parameters for placing the one or more measured parameters within the desired range; (f) performing the new adjustment to the one or more tunable parameters according to the determination of step (e); and (g) repeating steps (a) through (f) until the laser is operating in a single-mode state and the one or more measured parameters are within the desired range.