Wavelength tuning of quantum well heterostructure lasers using an external grating

Patent · Tue May 13 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5537451

Burnham, R; Holonyak, N Jr; Chung, H F

An apparatus is described for selective tuning the emission wavelength of a semiconductor laser comprising a semiconductor injection laser having an optical cavity for radiation generation and propagation under lasing conditions, an anti-reflection means on one facet of the laser, a rotatable diffraction grating positioned to be in alignment with the output emission spectra from the one facet, means to image the output emission spectra from the one facet onto the grating. The grating rotates to select the desired operating wavelength within the emission spectra of the laser. The apparatus is characterized in that the laser contains a quantum well structure capable of exhibiting quantum size effects comprising more than one energy band state, the rotation of the grating effective to select one of a possible number of wavelengths represented by the spectra emission between the bands as well as through each of the bands.

• Assignee: Xerox Corp., Stamford, CT
• Patent Number(s): US 4589115
• OSTI ID: 5537451
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ALIGNMENT
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
GRATINGS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
IMAGE PROCESSING
JUNCTIONS
LASER CAVITIES
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
MOTION
PROCESSING
RADIATIONS
ROTATION
SCATTERING
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
STIMULATED EMISSION
TUNING
WAVELENGTHS