Tunable light source apparatus, and adjustment method and control program of the same

• US 7,565,045 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, ELLEN E
• Application Number:
  US12/107,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 385 27- 30, 385/14, 385/15, 385/24, 359/326, 372/20
• US Class Current: 385/27
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/028 Coatings ; Treatment of the laser facets, e.g. etching, passivation layers or reflecting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0287 Facet reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06246 controlling the phase
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/065 Mode locking; Mode suppression; Mode selection ; Self pulsating
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0656 Seeding, i.e. an additional light input is provided for controlling the laser modes, for example by back-reflecting light from an external optical component H01S5/14, H01S5/4062 and H01S5/4006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0687 Stabilising the frequency of the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1032 Coupling to elements comprising an optical axis that is not aligned with the optical axis of the active region
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/142 which comprises an additional resonator

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a tuning light source apparatus including a multiple-optical resonator, where the resonance frequencies of the respective optical resonators in a multiple-optical resonator are exactly coincided with the set frequency, and the frequency of the output laser beam is locked within a range of about 1 GHz from the set frequency. Current is flowed to TO phase shifters based on lights detected by light receiving elements, and the resonance wavelengths of resonators are adjusted in an aim of obtaining a state in which an intensity of an oscillation light becomes a maximum and at the same time an intensity of a light from a through port becomes a minimum.

Claims

1. A tuning light source apparatus comprising:

an optical resonator filter including a multiple-optical resonator in which a plurality of optical resonators of different light path lengths is connected, the optical resonators comprising;

a first optical resonator positioned at a light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a second optical resonator positioned at a reflection side of the optical resonator filter;

a third optical resonator positioned between the first and the second optical resonators;

a light supply device for supplying light to the optical resonator filter at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a tuning device for changing a resonance wavelength of the multiple-optical resonator;

a first light detection device for detecting an oscillation light output to outside from an output port of the optical resonator filter, the output port located at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a plurality of additional light detection devices for detecting light deviated from corresponding resonator paths of the optical resonator filter output from corresponding through ports of the optical resonator filter, the additional light detection devices comprising;

a first additional light detection device to detect light deviated from a first resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a first through port of the optical resonator filter, the first resonator path located at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter, the first additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first resonator path that does not reach the first, the second, and the third optical resonators;

a second additional light detection device to detect light deviated from a second resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a second through port of the optical resonator filter, the second resonator path located between the first and the second optical resonators, the second additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first and the second resonator paths and the first optical resonator that does not reach the second and the third optical resonators;

a third additional light detection device to detect light deviated from a third resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a third through port of the optical resonator filter, the third resonator path located at the reflection side of the optical resonator filter, the third additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first, the second, and the third resonator paths, and the first and the third optical resonators, that does not reach the second optical resonator; and

a control unit for controlling the operation of the tuning device based on the lights detected by the first and the additional light detection devices.

2. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a function of controlling the operation of the tuning device so that an intensity of the light detected by the first light detection device takes a maximum value and, at the same time, an intensity of the light detected by one or more of the additional light detection devices takes a minimum value.

3. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each additional light detection device corresponds to one of the optical resonators.

4. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tuning device is configured to individually change a resonance wavelength of each optical resonator in the multiple-optical resonator.

5. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each optical resonator in the multiple-optical resonator is a ring resonator.

6. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tuning device is a film shaped heater for changing a light path length of each optical resonator.

7. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light supply device is a semiconductor optical amplifier.

8. The tuning light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical resonator filter is a planar lightwave circuit.

9. A tuning light source apparatus comprising:

an optical resonator filter including a multiple-optical resonator in which a plurality of optical resonators of different light path lengths is connected, the optical resonators comprising;

a first optical resonator positioned at a light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a second optical resonator positioned at a reflection side of the optical resonator filter;

a third optical resonator positioned between the first and the second optical resonators;

a light supply means for supplying light to the optical resonator filter at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a tuning means for changing a resonance wavelength of the multiple-optical resonator;

a first light detection means for detecting an oscillation light output to outside from an output port of the optical resonator filter;

a plurality of additional light detection means for detecting light deviated from corresponding resonator paths of the optical resonator filter output from corresponding through ports of the optical resonator filter, the additional light detection means comprising;

first additional light detection means for detecting light deviated from a first resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a first through port of the optical resonator filter, the first resonator path located at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter, the first additional light detection means to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first resonator path that does not reach the first, the second, and the third optical resonators;

second additional light detection means for detecting light deviated from a second resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a second through port of the optical resonator filter, the second resonator path located between the first and the second optical resonators, the second additional light detection means to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first and the second resonator paths and the first optical resonator that does not reach the second and the third optical resonators;

third additional light detection means for detecting light deviated from a third resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a third through port of the optical resonator filter, the third resonator path located at the reflection side of the optical resonator filter, the third additional light detection means to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first, the second, and the third resonator paths, and the first and the third optical resonators, that does not reach the second optical resonator; and

a control means for controlling the operation of the tuning means based on the lights detected by the first and the additional light detection means.

10. A light source wavelength adjustment method comprising:

supplying light into an optical resonator filter from a light supply device at a light input/output side of the optical resonator filter, the optical resonator filter having;

a first optical resonator positioned at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a second optical resonator positioned at a reflection side of the optical resonator filter;

a third optical resonator positioned between the first and the second optical resonators;

detecting an oscillation light output outside from an output port of the optical resonator filter using a first light detection device;

detecting light deviated from a plurality of resonator paths in the optical resonator filter from a plurality of corresponding through ports of the optical resonator filter using a first additional light detection device, a second additional light detection device, and a third additional light detection device, where;

the first additional light detection device is to detect light deviated from a first resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a first through port of the optical resonator filter, the first resonator path located at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter, the first additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first resonator path that does not reach the first, the second, and the third optical resonators,

the second additional light detection device is to detect light deviated from a second resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a second through port of the optical resonator filter, the second resonator path located between the first and the second optical resonators, the second additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first and the second resonator paths and the first optical resonator that does not reach the second and the third optical resonators,

the third additional light detection device is to detect light deviated from a third resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a third through port of the optical resonator filter, the third resonator path located at the reflection side of the optical resonator filter, the third additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first, the second, and the third resonator paths, and the first and the third optical resonators, that does not reach the second optical resonator; and

controlling the operation of a tuning device based on each detected light.

11. The light source wavelength adjustment method according to claim 10, further comprising controlling the operation of the tuning device so that an intensity of the oscillation light from the output port to the outside takes a maximum value and, at the same time, an intensity of the light from the through ports takes a minimum value.

12. A light source wavelength adjustment program for causing a computer for controlling the operation of a tuning light source apparatus including an optical resonator filter with a multiple-optical resonator in which a plurality of optical resonators is connected, a light supply device for supplying light into the filter from an input port of the optical resonator filter, and a tuning device for changing a resonance wavelength of the multiple-optical resonator to execute functions of:

instructing the light supply device to supply light into the optical resonator filter at a light input/output side of the optical resonator filter, the optical resonator filter having;

a first optical resonator positioned at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter;

a second optical resonator positioned at a reflection side of the optical resonator filter;

a third optical resonator positioned between the first and the second optical resonators;

inputting intensity data of a light output to the outside from an output port of the optical resonator filter from a light detection device arranged in advance, via a first light detection device;

inputting intensity data of light deviated from a plurality of resonators path in the optical resonator filter output from corresponding through ports of the optical resonator filter from a light detection device arranged in advance, via a first additional light detection device, a second additional light detection device, and a third additional light detection device, where;

the first additional light detection device is to detect light deviated from a first resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a first through port of the optical resonator filter, the first resonator path located at the light input/output side of the optical resonator filter, the first additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first resonator path that does not reach the first, the second, and the third optical resonators,

the second additional light detection device is to detect light deviated from a second resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a second through port of the optical resonator filter, the second resonator path located between the first and the second optical resonators, the second additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first and the second resonator paths and the first optical resonator that does not reach the second and the third optical resonators,

the third additional light detection device is to detect light deviated from a third resonator path of the optical resonator filter output from a third through port of the optical resonator filter, the third resonator path located at the reflection side of the optical resonator filter, the third additional light detection device to detect the light output by the light supply device through the first, the second, and the third resonator paths, and the first and the third optical resonators, that does not reach the second optical resonator; and

controlling the operation of the tuning device based on each intensity data input in a through light intensity input process and an output light intensity input process.

13. The light source wavelength adjustment program according to claim 12, wherein content is specified to control the operation of the tuning device so that an intensity of the light output from the output port to the outside takes a maximum value and, at the same time, an intensity of the light output from the through ports takes a minimum value in the tuning process.