Tunable optical source
First Claim
1. A tunable optical source comprising a laser diode and an external optical feedback device, the feedback device comprising a glass material having both organic and inorganic components and a controller for controlling the refractive index of the glass material so as to control the wavelength of feedback to the laser diode;
- wherein the feedback device comprises a planar waveguide structure provided with a wavelength selective filter whose optical performance is affected in use by the refractive index of said glass material so as to provide the control of the wavelength of feedback to the laser diode.
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Abstract
A tunable optical source comprises a laser diode and an external optical feedback device. The feedback device has a waveguiding portion fabricated at least in part out of a glass material having both organic and inorganic components. A control device is provided for controlling the refractive index of the glass material so as to change the wavelength of feedback to the laser diode. The glass material may for example have thermo-optic properties and the control device might then be a heating device for heating the glass material. The feedback device can have more than one portion, a second portion for example having controllable coupling characteristics for coupling optical radiation into or out of the feedback device. It also preferably has a portion for controlling optical path length in the feedback device.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A tunable optical source comprising a laser diode and an external optical feedback device, the feedback device comprising a glass material having both organic and inorganic components and a controller for controlling the refractive index of the glass material so as to control the wavelength of feedback to the laser diode;
wherein the feedback device comprises a planar waveguide structure provided with a wavelength selective filter whose optical performance is affected in use by the refractive index of said glass material so as to provide the control of the wavelength of feedback to the laser diode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
Specification