Wavelength locked integrated optical source structure using multiple microcavity

• US 6,798,799 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jung-Kee, Bang, Dong-Soo, Jang, Dong-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jr., Leon
• Application Number:
  US10/095,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 359/247, 372/20, 372/19, 372/105, 372/99, 372/92, 372/34, 372/32, 372/98, 372/50, 372/107
• US Class Current: 372/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02326 Arrangements for relative positioning of laser diodes and optical components, e.g. grooves in the mount to fix optical fibres or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0264 for monitoring the laser-output
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0687 Stabilising the frequency of the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1085 Oblique facets
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/125 Distributed Bragg reflector [DBR] lasers

Abstract

A wavelength-locked, integrated optical signal source structure using a semiconductor laser device is disclosed. The optical source structure has a semiconductor laser formed on a semiconductor substrate, and an etched portion coupled with an output end of the semiconductor laser. The etched portion is configured to pass on a first amount of light beam radiated by the semiconductor laser, and to reflect a second amount of light beam by a given reflection angle. A multiple microcavity is formed in a position spaced apart from the etched portion, and the first amount of light beam is incident upon the multiple microcavity. The optical source structure has a first optical detector for detecting the first amount of light beam passing through the multiple microcavity, and a second optical detector for detecting the second amount of light beam reflected by a slanted, reflecting surface portion of the etched portion. The relative change in the light intensity in the first and second optical detectors is measured out to maintain a constant optical wavelength.

Claims

1. An integrated optical signal source comprising:

a semiconductor laser having an etched portion with an output end that is configured with a slanted, reflecting surface for receiving an incident light beam radiated by said semiconductor laser, for partially passing the incident light beam as a first light beam, and for partially reflecting the incident light beam as a second light beam;

a multiple microcavity arranged apart from said etched portion and so that the first light beam is incident upon said multiple microcavity;

a first optical detector disposed to detect said first light beam after said first light beam has passed through said multiple microcavity;

a second optical detector arranged at said output end of said etched portion for detecting the second light beam reflected by said slanted, reflecting surface; and

a temperature controller in communicative connection with the first and second optical detectors for adjusting, based on a difference in respective light intensities of the first and second light beams, a temperature of said semiconductor laser in maintaining a constant optical wavelength.

2. The source of claim 1, further comprising a semiconductor substrate upon which to form said semiconductor laser.

3. The source of claim 2, wherein said source is configured with said multiple microcavity formed on said substrate.

4. An integrated optical signal source, comprising:

a semiconductor laser having an etched portion with an output end that is configured with a slanted, reflecting surface for receiving an incident light beam radiated by said semiconductor laser, for partially passing the incident light beam as a first light beam, and for partially reflecting the incident light beam as a second light beam;

a first optical detector disposed to detect said first light beam after said first light beam has passed through said slanted, reflecting surface;

a multiple microcavity arranged so that said second light beam is incident upon said multiple microcavity;

a second optical detector disposed for detecting said second light beam after said second light beam has passed through said multiple microcavity; and

a temperature controller in communicative connection with the first and second optical detectors for adjusting, based on a difference in respective light intensities of the first and second light beams, a temperature of said semiconductor laser in maintaining a constant optical wavelength.

5. An integrated optical signal source comprising:

a semiconductor laser having an etched portion with an output end that is configured with a slanted, reflecting surface for receiving an incident light beam radiated by said semiconductor laser, for partially passing the incident light beam as a first light beam, and for partially reflecting the incident light beam as a second light beam;

a multiple microcavity arranged apart from the etched portion and so that the first light beam passing through said etched portion is incident upon said multiple microcavity, a predetermined range of wavelength being reflected by said multiple microcavity;

a first optical detector, coupled to said etched portion and disposed for detecting said second light beam after reflection by said slanted, reflecting surface; and

a second optical detector coupled to said etched portion, in a position adjacent to said first optical detector and disposed for detecting said first light beam after reflection by the multiple microcavity and then by said slanted, reflecting surface; and

a temperature controller in communicative connection with the first and second optical detectors for adjusting, based on a difference in respective light intensities of the first and second light beams, a temperature of said semiconductor laser in maintaining a constant optical wavelength.

6. A method for providing a stabilized optical signal source, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a semiconductor laser having an etched portion with an output end that is configured with a slanted, reflecting surface for receiving an incident light beam radiated by said semiconductor laser, for partially passing the incident light beam as a first light beam, and for partially reflecting the incident light beam as a second light beam;

providing a multiple microcavity arranged apart from said etched portion and so that the first light beam is incident upon said multiple microcavity;

providing a first optical detector disposed to detect said first light beam after said first light beam has passed through said multiple microcavity;

providing a second optical detector arranged at said output end of said etched portion for detecting the second light beam reflected by said slanted, reflecting surface; and

providing a temperature controller in communicative connection with the first and second optical detectors for adjusting, based on a difference in respective light intensities of the first and second light beams, a temperature of said semiconductor laser in maintaining a constant optical wavelength.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said multiple microcavity providing step comprises the steps of:

configuring said multiple microcavity with a number of layers; and

changing the number of layers in said multiple microcavity to adjust a rate of change of an intensity of said first light beam with optical wavelength.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the providing steps for the semiconductor laser and the multiple microcavity include the step of forming said semiconductor laser and said multiple microcavity on a semiconductor substrate using monolithic integration.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the providing steps for the semiconductor laser and the multiple microcavity include the step of forming said semiconductor laser and said multiple microcavity on a semiconductor substrate using hybrid integration.