A semiconductor laser is provided with: an active layer that excites a transverse electric (TE) mode and a transverse magnetic (TM) mode of light and constitutes at least a part of a resonator guiding the TE mode and the TM mode of light; and a diffraction grating as a frequency difference setting structure that sets the difference in oscillation frequency between the TE mode and the TM mode of light higher than a relaxation-oscillation frequency

The disclosed systems, apparatuses and methods are directed to controlling a difference between a first center frequency of a first optical subcarrier and a second center frequency of a second optical subcarrier of an optical super-channel signal in an optical network. The method comprises modulating the first optical subcarrier at a first optical side component frequency with a first side modulation frequency and modulating the second optical subcarrier at a second optical side component frequency with a second side modulation frequency. The method further comprises detecting a radio-frequency (RF) power at a modulated beat frequency tone in the modified optical signal.

A tunable multi-mode laser is configured to generate a multi-mode optical signal at a tuned wavelength. The laser includes a semiconductor optical gain region, a feedback region, and a phase modulation region between the gain and feedback regions. Each of the regions may be monolithically integrated. A feedback loop is coupled to the tunable laser to receive the optical signal and includes at least one delay line. The delay line may also be monolithically integrated. An output of the delay line is fed back to the tunable multi-mode laser in order to provide at least one of self-injection locking and self-phase locked looping for the multi-mode tunable laser. Each of the optical gain region and phase modulation region of the laser is biased by the output of the delay line in order to reduce phase drift of the optical signal.

A wireless signal transmitter and a wireless signal receiver are provided. The wireless signal transmitter includes an optical signal generation region that generates excitation light by beating two optical signals that have different wavelengths and that are output through different laser diodes, and a wireless signal generation region that modulates the excitation light output from the optical signal generation region into a wireless signal with a carrier frequency of a terahertz band, using a photomixer. The optical signal generation region and the wireless signal generation region may be connected by a multimode optical fiber to reduce a nonlinear effect occurring in an optical fiber. Also, the wireless signal receiver includes a signal processor, for example, an equalizer, for compensating for a modal dispersion, and may compensate for a modal dispersion caused by the multimode optical fiber used in the wireless signal transmitter.

An isolator-free laser includes an etalon, an active section, and a low reflection (LR) mirror. The etalon includes a passive section of the isolator-free laser and a reflection profile. The active section is coupled end to end with the passive section. The active section has a distributed feedback (DFB) grating and a lasing mode at a long wavelength side of a reflection peak of the reflection profile. The LR mirror is formed on a front facet of the passive section. The long wavelength edge of the reflection peak of the reflection profile may have a slope greater than 0.006 GHz.sup.1. A RIN of the isolator-free laser under 20 decibels (dB) external cavity optical feedback may be less than or equal to 130 dBc/Hz.

The invention relates to a laser system comprising a laser light source (1) that emits laser radiation during operation of the laser system, a modulation means (2) that brings about modulation of the laser radiation emitted by the laser light source (1) such that the spectrum of the laser radiation comprises a carrier (14) and two sidebands (13, 15) that are symmetrically distributed around the carrier, and at least one optical amplifier (5) that amplifies the radiation emitted by the laser light source (1). The invention proposes that an optical filter (4) be provided in the beam path of the laser radiation, upstream of the optical amplifier (5), which filter is intended for removing the spectral portion of the laser radiation at the frequency of one of the two sidebands (13). The laser system is suitable inter alia for generating an artificial guide star (laser guide star) for astronomical telescopes comprising adaptive optics. The invention furthermore relates to a method for generating single-sideband modulated laser radiation.

The disclosed systems, apparatuses and methods are directed to controlling a difference between a first center frequency of a first optical subcarrier and a second center frequency of a second optical subcarrier of an optical super-channel signal in an optical network. The method comprises modulating the first optical subcarrier at a first optical side component frequency with a first side modulation frequency and modulating the second optical subcarrier at a second optical side component frequency with a second side modulation frequency. The method further comprises detecting a radio-frequency (RF) power at a modulated beat frequency tone in the modified optical signal.

A wireless communication device includes a quantum cascade laser (QCL) configured to generate a terahertz (THz) or microwave carrier signal. The QCL includes a laser waveguide, a laser optical gain medium incorporated in the laser waveguide, and at least one electrode. An antenna may be integrated with the electrode. The device may be a transmitter, the electrode configured to receive an input baseband signal, the QCL configured to couple the THz or microwave carrier signal and the input baseband signal into a THz or microwave communication signal, and the antenna configured to transmit the THz or microwave communication signal. The device may be a receiver, the antenna configured to receive a THz or microwave communication signal, and the QCL configured to de-couple the THz or microwave communication signal from the THz or microwave carrier signal into an output baseband signal.

Methods and apparatus to control the optical frequency of a laser are disclosed. An apparatus includes: a first laser to emit a first beam of light, the first beam of light to have an adjustable frequency based on an input current; a second laser to emit a second beam of light, the second beam of light to have a substantially fixed frequency; a photodetector to generate a feedback signal indicative of a frequency difference between the first and second beams of light; and logic circuitry to control the input current based on the feedback signal.

An optical module includes a semiconductor laser with an active layer disproportionately positioned closer to the first surface. The semiconductor laser includes a reflector for reflecting the light outgoing from the active layer in a direction along the first surface toward another direction. The active layer and the reflector are monolithically integrated in the semiconductor laser. The optical module includes a carrier formed from a light transmissive material and having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other. The semiconductor laser is mounted on the carrier so as for the light to enter the third surface. The carrier has a lens integrally on the fourth surface. The optical module includes a substrate having an optical waveguide and an optical coupler for guiding the light to the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide and the optical coupler are integrated in the substrate.