A laser comprising a laser cavity formed by a first optical reflector, a gain region, a second optical reflector having a plurality of reflection peaks, and at least one optically active region. The first mirror may be a DBR or comb mirror and the second mirror may be a comb mirror. The spectral reflectance of the second optical reflector is adjusted at least partially based on an electric signal received form the optically active region such that only one reflection peak is aligned with a cavity mode formed by the first and second reflector.

The disclosed embodiments provide a laser source comprising a silicon waveguide formed in a silicon layer, and a cascaded array of hybrid distributed feedback (DFB) lasers formed by locating sections of III-V gain material over the silicon waveguide. Each DFB laser in the cascaded array comprises a section of III-V gain material located over the silicon waveguide, wherein the section of III-V gain material includes an active region that generates light, and a Bragg grating located between the III-V gain material and the silicon waveguide. This Bragg grating has a resonance frequency within a gain bandwidth of the section of III-V material and is transparent to frequencies that differ from the resonance frequency. Moreover, each DFB laser has a hybrid mode that resides partially in the III-V gain material and partially in silicon.

A process of forming a semiconductor optical device is disclosed. The semiconductor optical device provides a waveguide structure accompanied with a heater for varying a temperature of the waveguide structure. The process includes steps of: (a) forming a striped mask on a semiconductor substrate; (b) selectively growing a dummy layer on the semiconductor substrate; (c) removing the patterned mask; (d) burying the dummy layer by a supplemental layer; (e) exposing a portion of the dummy layer by etching a portion of the supplemental layer; (f) and removing the dummy layer by immersing the dummy layer within a solution that shows an etching rate for the dummy layer enough faster than an etching rate for the supplemental layer and the substrate so as to leave a void in a region the dummy layer had existed.

A tunable laser with multiple in-line sections including sampled gratings generally includes a semiconductor laser body with a plurality of in-line laser sections configured to be driven independently to generate laser light at a wavelength within a different respective wavelength range. Sampled gratings in the respective in-line sections have the same grating period and a different sampling period to produce the different wavelengths. The wavelength of the light generated in the respective laser sections may be tuned, in response to a temperature change, to a channel wavelength within the respective wavelength range. By selectively generating light in one or more of the laser sections, one or more channel wavelengths may be selected for lasing and transmission. By using sampled gratings with the same grating period in the multiple in-line sections, the multiple section tunable laser may be fabricated more easily.

Disclosed is a Vernier effect DBR laser that has uniform laser injection current pumping along the length of the laser. The laser can include one or more tuning elements, separate from the laser injection element, and these tuning elements can be used to control the temperature or modal refractive index of one or more sections of the laser. The refractive indices of each diffraction grating can be directly controlled by temperature changes, electro optic effects, or other means through the one or more tuning elements. With direct control of the temperature and/or refractive indices of the diffraction gratings, the uniformly pumped Vernier effect DBR laser can be capable of a wider tuning range. Additionally, uniform pumping of the laser through a single electrode can reduce or eliminate interfacial reflections caused by, for example, gaps between metal contacts atop the laser ridge, which can minimize multi-mode operation and mode hopping.

A laser device includes a silicon substrate, a buffer layer on the silicon substrate, a laser cavity on the buffer layer including a first active region based on group III-V semiconductor quantum dots, and a semiconductor optical amplifier that is integrated with the laser cavity on the buffer layer, includes a second active region based on group III-V semiconductor quantum dots, and amplifies light emitted from the laser cavity.

An optical grating comprising a refractive index with a periodic pattern that includes a base period ?.sub.0; a periodic sampling of the base period, with a first period ?.sub.1 and a first duty cycle p.sub.1, thereby defining a single-sampled grating (SSG); and a periodic sampling of the SSG, with a second period ?.sub.2 and a second duty cycle p.sub.2. The resulting dual-sampled grating (DSG) can have a reflection spectrum containing reflection peaks. If two DSGs having different reflection spectra share a common interface, a tunable optical filter can be produced, where electrical or heating means can cause a reflection peak of one spectrum to be shifted to coincide with a reflection peak of the other spectrum, thereby filtering the corresponding wavelength. By inserting between the two DSGs a gain medium and a phase-tuning medium, a laser source structure is realized. Either device can be produced by etching or stacking methods.

An optical semiconductor device is provided as one achieving reduction of power in phase control. The optical semiconductor device has: a first optical waveguide having a plurality of segments each of which has a diffraction grating region with a diffraction grating and a space portion coupled to the diffraction grating region, having two ends interposed between the diffraction grating regions, and having a constant optical length, wherein at least one of the segments is provided with a phase shift structure; a first phase control device for adjusting a phase of light in each segment with the phase shift structure; and a second phase control device for adjusting a phase of light in each segment without the phase shift structure.

A laser resonator includes an active material, which amplifies light associated with an optical gain of the resonator, and passive materials disposed in proximity with the active material. The resonator oscillates over one or more optical modes, each of which corresponds to a particular spatial energy distribution and resonant frequency. Based on a characteristic of the passive materials, for the particular spatial energy distribution corresponding to at least one of the optical modes, a preponderant portion of optical energy is distributed apart from the active material. The passive materials may include a low loss material, which stores the preponderant optical energy portion distributed apart from the active material, and a buffer material disposed between the low loss material and the active material, which controls a ratio of the optical energy stored in the low loss material to a portion of the optical energy in the active material. A Vernier grating and tuning mechanism can be used to tune the low-noise laser.

A laser device includes a silicon substrate, a buffer layer on the silicon substrate, a laser cavity on the buffer layer including a first active region based on group III-V semiconductor quantum dots, and a semiconductor optical amplifier that is integrated with the laser cavity on the buffer layer, includes a second active region based on group III-V semiconductor quantum dots, and amplifies light emitted from the laser cavity.