Wavelength-tunable external-cavity laser and adjustable light emission module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256606-B2
Application number	US-201515740655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A wavelength-tunable external cavity laser comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier chip and a laser external cavity, the laser external cavity comprising a grid filter, a phase adjustor and a silicon-based micro-ring chip, the grid filter and the silicon-based micro-ring chip constituting a wavelength-tunable optical filter which implements wavelength tuning by spectral tuning of the grid filter and/or the silicon-based micro-ring chip. A micro-ring filter in the silicon-based micro-ring chip of the tunable external-cavity laser is manufactured by adopting a mature silicon light technology, which can greatly reduce a manufacturing difficulty of the adjustable filter, and reduce the manufacturing cost of a device. An existing external-cavity adjustable technology platform may be used for smooth transition, so as to improve the degree of integration of this type of device and simplify a preparation process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wavelength-tunable external cavity laser comprising a semiconductor optical amplifier chip and a laser external cavity, the laser external cavity comprising a grid filter, a phase adjustor and a silicon-based micro-ring chip, the grid filter and the silicon-based micro-ring chip constituting a wavelength-tunable optical filter which implements wavelength tuning by spectral tuning of the grid filter and/or the silicon-based micro-ring chip, the silicon-based micro-ring chip comprising a first beam-splitting coupler and a micro-ring annular waveguide, the first beam-splitting coupler has a common end coupled to the grid filter and two splitting ports connected to two ports at a side of the micro-ring annular waveguide.

2. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier chip generates stimulated emission when current is injected, a light extraction end of the semiconductor optical amplifier chip is plated with an AR film and the other end is plated with a HR film, and a gain region of the semiconductor optical amplifier chip is a semiconductor gain amplifier of an inclined straight waveguide or an arc waveguide.

3. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier chip is a laser die having both ends plated with a reflective film.

4. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the grid filter is a fixed grid filter or a tunable grid filter.

5. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the silicon-based micro-ring chip and the phase adjustor are coupled by a first lens, and the semiconductor optical amplifier chip and the grid filter are coupled by a second lens.

6. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the free spectral range (FSR) of the grid filter is 25 GHz, 50 GHz or other DWDM channel spacing frequency.

7. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the phase adjustor is an optical element that changes the optical path by thermal adjustment and/or electric adjustment.

8. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the grid filter is a Fabry-Perot grid filter which is a silicon etalon with temperature sensing and a regional heating metal thin-film to form a fixed periodical grid spectrum.

9. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the common end of the first beam-splitting coupler is used as a coupling inlet and a resonant light outlet, and each of the two ports of the micro-ring annular waveguide is used as an in end and also a drop end with respect to the other port.

10. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 9 wherein the micro-ring annular waveguide is provided with a structure to control the free carrier concentration, which tunes the resonance peak of the micro-ring annular waveguide by the plasma dispersion effect of silicon; and/or, a thermal thin-film resistor is arranged around the micro-ring annular waveguide, which tunes the resonance peak of the micro-ring annular waveguide by changing its temperature.

11. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 1 wherein the silicon-based micro-ring chip further comprises a second beam-splitting coupler, and a silicon-based MZI modulator; the generated laser in the external cavity enters the micro-ring annular waveguide from the first beam-splitting coupler and then is output from both through ends of the micro-ring annular waveguide two optical signals, the two optical signals are combined in the second beam-splitting coupler and then enter the MZI modulator, which outputs a modulated optical signal at a back end thereof.

12. The wavelength-tunable external cavity laser of claim 11 wherein the micro-ring annular waveguide and the MZI modulator are provided with a structure to control the free carrier concentration, which implements tuning of the resonant peak of the micro-ring annular waveguide and the intensity modulation of the MZI modulator by the plasma dispersion effect of silicon; and/or, a thermal thin-film resistor is arranged around the micro-ring annular waveguide and the MZI modulator, which implements tuning of the resonance peak of the micro-ring annular waveguide and tuning of the bias operation point of the MZI modulator by changing the temperature of the micro-ring annular waveguide and the MZI modulator, respectively.

13. A wavelength-tunable external cavity laser comprising a semiconductor optical amplifier chip and a laser external cavity, the laser external cavity comprising a grid filter, a phase adjustor and a silicon-based micro-ring chip, the grid filter and the silicon-based micro-ring chip constituting a wavelength-tunable optical filter which implements wavelength tuning by spectral tuning of the grid filter and/or the silicon-based micro-ring chip; wherein the silicon-based micro-ring chip comprises a first beam-splitting coupler, a micro-ring annular waveguide, a second beam-splitting coupler, and a silicon-based MZI modulator; the generated laser in the external cavity enters the micro-ring annular waveguide from the first beam-splitting coupler and then is output from both through ends of the micro-ring annular waveguide two optical signals, the two optical signals are combined in the second beam-splitting coupler and then enter the MZI modulator, which outputs a modulated optical signal at a back end thereof.

Assignees

• Accelink Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu Shenglei
• Fu Yanfeng
• Tang Yi
• Zhang Di
• Li Shiyu
• Tang Xuesheng
• Qian Kun
• Ma Weidong
• Hu Qianggao

Classifications

• H01S5/02446

  Cooling being separate from the laser chip cooling · CPC title

• H01S3/1062

  using a controlled passive interferometer, e.g. a Fabry-Perot etalon · CPC title

• H01S5/142 Primary

  which comprises an additional resonator · CPC title

• H01S5/0064

  Anti-reflection components, e.g. optical isolators · CPC title

• H01S5/50

  Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30 · CPC title