There is provided a method of operating a laser. The method comprises receiving a target power and calculating an operating power of a lasing module of the laser. The operating power may be calculated based on the target power and a minimum lasing power of the lasing module. The method also comprises determining an operating current for the lasing module based on the operating power, and driving the lasing module at the operating current to produce an output light having the operating power. In addition, the method comprises providing the output light to an optical modulator of the laser, and operating the optical modulator to modulate the output light to have an output power corresponding to the target power.

There is provided a method of operating a laser. The method comprises receiving a target power and calculating an operating power of a lasing module of the laser. The operating power may be calculated based on the target power and a minimum lasing power of the lasing module. The method also comprises determining an operating current for the lasing module based on the operating power, and driving the lasing module at the operating current to produce an output light having the operating power. In addition, the method comprises providing the output light to an optical modulator of the laser, and operating the optical modulator to modulate the output light to have an output power corresponding to the target power.

An apparatus includes a wavelength-tunable laser and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to control the wavelength-tunable laser such that an output wavelength of the wavelength-tunable laser performs a zigzag in time. The wavelength-tunable laser is capable of rapidly and densely scanning wavelengths across a broad spectral range.

An apparatus includes a wavelength-tunable laser and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to control the wavelength-tunable laser such that an output wavelength of the wavelength-tunable laser performs a zigzag in time. The wavelength-tunable laser is capable of rapidly and densely scanning wavelengths across a broad spectral range.

Self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors may include vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL), photodetectors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The VCSEL, photodetectors, and MEMS may be vertically stacked. The MEMS may be moveable with respect to a VCSEL and may change a cavity length associated with the VCSEL. By changing the cavity length associated with the VCSEL, certain properties of emitted light may be changed, such as a wavelength value of the emitted light.

Self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors may include vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL), photodetectors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The VCSEL, photodetectors, and MEMS may be vertically stacked. The MEMS may be moveable with respect to a VCSEL and may change a cavity length associated with the VCSEL. By changing the cavity length associated with the VCSEL, certain properties of emitted light may be changed, such as a wavelength value of the emitted light.

A stabilized LiDAR system and a method for stabilization. The LiDAR system includes a laser, the laser being designed for emission of monochromatic LiDAR radiation within a wavelength working range; a thermocouple element configured to set the working temperature of the laser; a means for evaluation, designed to determine, from the radiation emitted by the laser, a measure for the deviation from an actual wavelength of the radiation to a setpoint wavelength within the wavelength working range of the laser; and a means for regulation, designed to control the thermocouple element on the basis of the measure of deviation determined by the means for evaluation, in such a way that the working temperature of the laser is set to a value, at which the emitted monochromatic LiDAR radiation corresponds to the setpoint radiation.

A stabilized LiDAR system and a method for stabilization. The LiDAR system includes a laser, the laser being designed for emission of monochromatic LiDAR radiation within a wavelength working range; a thermocouple element configured to set the working temperature of the laser; a means for evaluation, designed to determine, from the radiation emitted by the laser, a measure for the deviation from an actual wavelength of the radiation to a setpoint wavelength within the wavelength working range of the laser; and a means for regulation, designed to control the thermocouple element on the basis of the measure of deviation determined by the means for evaluation, in such a way that the working temperature of the laser is set to a value, at which the emitted monochromatic LiDAR radiation corresponds to the setpoint radiation.

A tuning arrangement for a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) may include a delta sigma modulator and a current source. The delta sigma modulator may be configured to generate a bitstream comprising bit signals, and the current source may be configured to provide a current to the VCSEL in a switchable manner depending on a control signal. The bitstream is generated based on a target state signal and the control signal corresponds to or is derived from the bit signals of the bitstream.

A device comprises three elements, realized as photonic integrated circuits. The first element comprises a tunable semiconductor laser emitting light at a laser output wavelength. The second element comprises a wavelength selective element, coupled to the first element. The third element comprises N photodetectors where N>=2, coupled to the second element. Light coupled into the second element from the first element is de-multiplexed by the wavelength selective element such that a ratio of light power coupled from the second element into one of the N photodetectors to light power coupled from the second element into another one of the N photodetectors is a function of the laser output wavelength. The responses of the N photodetectors facilitate at least one of measurement and control of the laser output wavelength.