A controller stabilizes a distributed feedback plus reflection (DFB+R) laser, which has a back facet, a DFB section, a passive section, and a front facet with a low reflective element. An etalon filter is formed by a portion of the DFB section, the passive section, and the low reflective element. Control circuitry directly modulates the DFB section with a modulation signal and biases the passive section with a bias signal. In operation, a lasing mode of the DFB section is aligned to a long wavelength edge of one of the periodic peaks of a reflection profile of the etalon filter. Meanwhile, photodiodes are arranged to monitor the output power emitted from the laser's front and back facets. The control circuitry monitors a ratio of the detected output power and adjusts the bias based on the monitored ratio.

A DC-coupled laser driver circuit with large modulation current belongs to the optical field. The present invention solves the problem that the conventional laser driver circuit consumes too much voltage margin because the transistor is used as the tail current source, resulting in a small modulation current. The present invention includes a negative feedback unit, an adaptive drive unit, a mirrored tail current source, a resistor R11, a resistor R12, a bias current source IBIAS and a diode D2; The resistor R12, laser D1, resistor R11, and bias current source IBIAS are connected in series between the voltage VCC and the ground in sequence; the input terminal of the negative feedback unit is connected to the data signal input ports TINP and TINN, the output terminal of the negative feedback unit is connected to the input terminal of the adaptive drive unit, the output terminal of the adaptive drive unit is connected to the control signal input terminal of the mirrored tail current source, a drive signal output terminal of the mirrored tail current source is connected to the anode of the laser D1 through a diode D2, the other drive signal output terminal of the mirrored tail current source is connected to the cathode of the laser D1.

An optoelectronic device includes a laser diode having a cathode terminal and an anode terminal, which is connected to a driving voltage. A driver is coupled to drive current pulses through the laser diode from the anode terminal to the cathode terminal. A discharge switch has a first switch terminal connected to the cathode terminal and a second switch terminal connected to a discharge voltage, which is equal to or greater than the driving voltage, and is configured, when closed, to raise the cathode terminal to the discharge voltage. A switch control circuit has an input connected to the cathode terminal and an output connected to close the discharge switch in response to the current pulses occurring at the input.

A system and method for measuring optical power is described. The optical system and method may include a module configured to generate a secondly modulated signal based on secondly modulating a firstly modulated signal with an amplitude modulated signal. The firstly modulated signal may include data that is modulated for transmission by a laser diode array. The firstly modulated signal may then be secondly modulated using amplitude modulation techniques. The system may further include a photodiode configured to generate a photodiode current based on optically sensing a laser diode array. The laser diode array outputs an optical output power based on being driven by the secondly modulated signal. The system may yet further include a controller configured to calculate the optical output power from the photodiode current based on the amplitude modulated signal.

Methods for driving a tunable laser with integrated tuning elements are disclosed. The methods can include modulating the tuning current and laser injection current such that the laser emission wavelength and output power are independently controllable. In some examples, the tuning current and laser injection current are modulated simultaneously and a wider tuning range can result. In some examples, one or both of these currents is sinusoidally modulated. In some examples, a constant output power can be achieved while tuning the emission wavelength. In some examples, the output power and tuning can follow a linear relationship. In some examples, injection current and tuning element drive waveforms necessary to achieve targeted output power and tuning waveforms can be achieved through optimization based on goodness of fit values between the targeted and actual output power and tuning waveforms.

A laser device includes: a substrate formed from material transparent at a laser wavelength; a first reflecting layer to reflect at least some incident radiation at the laser wavelength; a layer including a gain medium for providing stimulated emission of radiation at the laser wavelength, and positioned between the first reflecting layer and the substrate; a second reflecting layer on an opposite side of the substrate from the first reflecting layer to reflect at least some incident radiation at the laser wavelength; a spatial light modulator in an optical cavity comprising the first and second reflecting layers, and comprising an array of elements each corresponding to a different path for radiation in the optical cavity; and a computer controller that, during operation, causes the spatial light modulator to selectively vary an intensity or phase of radiation in the optical cavity to provide variable transverse spatial mode output of the radiation.

Systems and methods for controlling laser modulation in burst communications. In a start-up phase, a drive circuitry sequentially applies first and second drive currents to a laser diode such that it produces a first and second optical output, respectively. A compensating current source coupled to the laser diode provides a current related to the first and second drive currents to maintain a combined current flowing through an impedance connected to the laser diode at a substantially constant level during the start-up phase. An optical sensor measures the first and second optical outputs, and a controller uses values of the first and second drive currents, the outputs from the optical sensor, and at least one supplied input value to provide control values for the drive circuitry for controlling operating current of the laser diode during a subsequent operating phase, wherein information is transmitted in at least one burst.

A wavelength estimation device including a light detector to receive light emitted from a light source and an estimation unit. The estimation unit estimates a wavelength of the light based on an amount of light received by the light detector.

Provided is an optical transmission module in which noise is further reduced. The optical transmission module includes a first semiconductor layer having a first electrode arranged thereon, an active layer with a stripe shape formed on the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer with a stripe shape formed on the active layer. The second semiconductor layer has a second electrode arranged thereon and includes a diffraction grating arranged along an extending direction of the active layer. The active layer includes a first portion having first stripe width, a second portion having a second stripe width smaller than the first stripe width, and a connection portion having a varying stripe width so as to connect the first portion and the second portion to each other. The diffraction grating overlaps with the first portion and does not overlap with the second portion in planar view.

A method of calibrating a tunable laser includes shifting a filter output peak defined by a tunable optical feedback filter of the tunable laser in an optical spectral domain to align with a target etalon output peak of a plurality of spaced etalon output peaks defined by an etalon of the tunable laser. The method also includes shifting a cavity frequency grid defined by cavity modes of the tunable laser to align a target cavity mode of the cavity frequency grid with the filter output peak and shifting the spaced output peaks defined by the etalon to align a target etalon output peak with a target wavelength of an output wavelength grid. The method includes modifying a bias current and a modulation current of a gain section of the tunable laser to achieve a defined output modulation amplitude and a defined extinction ratio.