CN214337123U

CN214337123U - Multichannel interference laser

Info

Publication number: CN214337123U
Application number: CN202120552340.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陆明之
Original assignee: Ningbo Yuanxin Optoelectronic Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Ningbo Yuanxin Optoelectronic Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-17
Filing date: 2021-03-17
Publication date: 2021-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-17

Abstract

The utility model discloses a laser instrument is interfered to multichannel, including the active area, its characterized in that: the laser also includes a hot electrode for heating the active region to change a gain spectrum position of the laser, the hot electrode being disposed adjacent the active region. Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the advantages of: by arranging the thermal electrode at the position adjacent to the active area or arranging the TEC outside the chip, the gain spectrum position of the laser can be changed under the electrified state of the thermal electrode or the TEC, so that the lasing wavelength of the laser moves towards the long wavelength direction, the wavelength tuning range of the laser is widened, and the requirements of long-distance communication and the like are met.

Description

Multichannel interference laser

Technical Field

The utility model belongs to the technical field of the optical communication technique and specifically relates to a laser instrument is interfered to multichannel.

Background

With the rapid development of modern optical communication technology, tunable semiconductor lasers have been widely researched and paid attention to. For example, in a wavelength division multiplexing system, the tunable semiconductor laser can replace a plurality of lasers with fixed wavelengths, so that the cost of a standby light source is greatly reduced, and timely and effective inventory management and channel quick establishment functions can be provided. Due to the loss, the intensity of the optical signal gradually decreases as the transmission distance increases when the optical signal is transmitted in the optical fiber.

The multi-channel interference laser is based on multi-cavity coupling interference enhancement for mode selection, and is different from a tunable semiconductor laser based on grating for mode selection. Specifically, the multichannel interference laser is based on the mode selection of a plurality of arm interference enhancements with different lengths, so that the multichannel interference laser can be manufactured by using conventional photoetching, and the manufacturing difficulty of devices is reduced.

An existing multi-channel interferometric laser, such as the one disclosed in our chinese patent application No. 2014107047390, comprises an optical gain region, a common phase region, a multi-channel branch region, and a multi-channel reflection region, wherein the multi-channel branch region divides an input channel into a plurality of output channels, the multi-channel reflection region comprises a plurality of arms with different lengths, and each arm has an independent arm phase control region; the length difference of the adjacent arms is unequal, so that the multi-channel reflecting region interferes to generate a reflection spectrum with a single reflection peak dominating, and the reflection spectrum ensures the single-mode operation of the laser. By combining the adjustment of the phase of the common phase region and the phase on each arm of the multi-channel reflecting region, the wavelength of the laser can be finely tuned in a large range.

With the development of applications such as 5G, cloud computing, Internet of things, ultra-clear video and VR, the network communication traffic has a annual composite growth rate of 30-40% per year. The cost of laying optical fiber in cities is high, so the existing solution is to increase the communication capacity of already laid single fibers. In addition to using advanced modulation formats to improve spectral efficiency, single-fiber capacity can be increased by increasing the spectral range. An extension C is required for tunable semiconductor lasers, i.e. a tuning range of about 48nm requiring 120 waves (50GHz ITU spacing). At present, the multi-channel interference laser adjusts the lasing wavelength by adjusting the phase, the tuning range is designed to be larger than 40nm, and the maximum is about 50nm in practical test. The usable wavelength range is about 40nm except for the wavelength region where mode hopping is easy for short and long wavelengths. Thus, the demand cannot be satisfied, and further improvement is needed.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model aims to solve the technical problem that to the not enough of above-mentioned prior art existence, provide a multichannel interference laser, can enlarge tuning range.

The utility model provides an above-mentioned first technical scheme who adopts does: a multi-channel interferometric laser comprising an active region, characterized in that: the laser also includes a hot electrode for heating the active region to change a gain spectrum position of the laser, the hot electrode being disposed adjacent the active region.

Preferably, the laser further comprises a common phase region and a multi-channel interference region, the common phase region being between the active region and the multi-channel interference region.

Preferably, the multichannel interference region comprises a 1 × N branching region and N arms.

The utility model provides a second technical scheme that above-mentioned technical problem adopted does: a multichannel interference laser, includes laser chip, its characterized in that: the laser also comprises an AlN heat sink and a TEC (thermoelectric cooler) for controlling the working temperature of the laser chip, wherein the laser chip is welded on the AlN heat sink for detection, and the AlN heat sink is fixed on the TEC.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the advantages of: by arranging the thermal electrode at the position adjacent to the active area or arranging the TEC outside the chip, the gain spectrum position of the laser can be changed under the electrified state of the thermal electrode or the TEC, so that the lasing wavelength of the laser moves towards the long wavelength direction, the wavelength tuning range of the laser is widened, and the requirements of long-distance communication and the like are met.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a laser according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of gain red shift of a laser according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic view of the tuning range of a laser according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a laser according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the following embodiments.

Example one

Referring to fig. 1, a multi-channel interference laser includes an active region 1, a common phase region 2 and a multi-channel interference region 3, the multi-channel interference region 3 includes a 1 × N branch region 31 and N arms 32, and the lengths of the arms 32 may be the same or different.

The common phase region 2 and the multi-channel interference region 3 are passive structures. The common phase region 2 is between the active region 1 and the multi-channel interference region 3. The active region 1 is used for providing optical gain required by laser lasing; the common phase section 2 is used to tune the wavelength of the longitudinal mode of the laser. The 1 XN branch region is used for dividing an input light field into N output light fields and can be composed of structures such as a multimode interferometer, a Y branch or a star coupler.

The structure of each region of the laser is the prior art, and can be seen in the Chinese patent with the application number of 201410704739.0 mentioned in the background art.

For the C wave band, the temperature coefficient of the laser wavelength of the tunable semiconductor laser based on the grating mode selection is generally 0.1 nm/DEG C. The tunable semiconductor laser based on the grating mode selection can only realize the wavelength tuning of a few nanometers, such as the wavelength tuning of about 6nm at 20-80 ℃ by changing the working temperature. However, the operating temperature of the laser is too high, and the performance of the laser is also cracked, such as the threshold value is increased, the output optical power is reduced, and the like. Different from a tunable semiconductor laser based on grating mode selection, the wavelength tuning range of the multichannel interference laser is determined by the position and half width of a gain spectrum, so that the tuning range of the multichannel interference laser can be adjusted by moving the position of the gain spectrum. Changing the temperature of the active region of the laser changes the position of the material gain peak by a temperature coefficient of about 0.5 nm/deg.C. Referring to fig. 2, increasing the operating temperature of the active region 1 of the laser can red-shift (shift to the long wavelength direction) the gain spectrum. Conversely, the gain spectrum can be blue shifted (shifted to the short wavelength direction). In fig. 2, the solid line indicates the operating temperature T of the active region 1₀Gain spectrum of time, the dashed line indicates the operating temperature of the active region 1Degree of T₁Gain spectrum of time, and T₀＜T₁。

Thus, the tuning range of the multi-channel interference laser can be changed by changing the position of the material gain of the active region 1 of the laser. Referring again to fig. 1, a thermode 4 is disposed adjacent to the active region 1, the thermode 4 being connected to an external power source. The heating electrode 1 is energized, and the temperature of the active region 1 is raised by resistance heating, thereby the gain of the active region is shifted to a long wavelength.

Referring to fig. 3, the active region 1 operates at a temperature T without energizing the hot electrode 4₀Laser tuning range of λ₀To lambda₁. After the hot electrode 4 is energized, the operating temperature of the active region 1 rises to T₁The gain is shifted to a long wavelength and accordingly the tuning range is shifted to a long wavelength to be λ₂To lambda₃And λ₀＜λ₂＜λ₁＜λ₃。

Two operating temperatures T of the superimposed active region 1₀And T₁Can expand the tuning range of the multi-channel interference laser to lambda₀To lambda₃Therefore, the tuning range of the laser is greatly increased, the long-distance communication requirement can be met, and the laser can be suitable for other occasions needing large-range tuning.

Example two

Referring to fig. 4, the difference from the first embodiment is that the position of the gain spectrum of the multi-channel interference laser is shifted directly by changing the operating temperature of the whole laser.

In order to accurately control the lasing wavelength, a tunable semiconductor laser needs to be temperature controlled. Temperature is typically controlled by the TEC 200. The laser chip 100 composed of the active region 1, the common phase region 2 and the multi-channel interference region 3 in the first embodiment is tested by eutectic soldering of Au-Sn alloy on the AlN heat sink 300, and then the AlN heat sink 300 is fixed on the TEC 200. A thermistor (not shown) is also required to be soldered to AlN heatsink 300 for monitoring the operating temperature of laser chip 100.

Thus, multiple passes can be controlled through the TEC200The traces interfere with the operating temperature of the laser. The working temperature of the whole laser is controlled to be T through the TEC200₀Laser tuning range of λ₀To lambda₁. The working temperature of the whole laser is controlled to be T through the TEC200₁(T₁>T₀) The temperature of the laser can be increased to shift the gain spectrum of the active region 1 to a longer wavelength. Correspondingly, the tuning range is shifted to a longer wavelength to λ₂To lambda₃. Two working temperatures T of the superposition laser₀And T₁Can expand the tuning range of the multi-channel interference laser to lambda₀To lambda₃。

Claims

1. A multi-channel interferometric laser comprising an active region (1), characterized in that: the laser further comprises a hot electrode (4) for heating the active region (1) to thereby change the gain spectrum position of the laser, the hot electrode (4) being arranged adjacent to the active region (1).

2. The multi-channel interferometric laser of claim 1, characterized in that: the laser further comprises a common phase region (2) and a multi-channel interference region (3), the common phase region (2) being between the active region (1) and the multi-channel interference region (3).

3. The multi-channel interferometric laser of claim 2, characterized in that: the multi-channel interference region (3) comprises a 1 XN branching region (31) and N arms (32).

4. A multi-channel interferometric laser comprising a laser chip (100), characterized in that: the laser also comprises an AlN heat sink (300) and a TEC (200) used for controlling the working temperature of the laser chip (100), the laser chip (100) is welded on the AlN heat sink (300) for detection, and the AlN heat sink (300) is fixed on the TEC (200).