METHOD FOR SWITCHING OUTPUT WAVELENGTH OF TUNABLE WAVELENGTH LASER, METHOD FOR SWITCHING WAVELENGTH OF TUNABLE WAVELENGTH LASER, AND TUNABLE WAVELENGTH LASER DEVICE

摘要

A method for switching a wavelength of a tunable wavelength laser, which is provided with a temperature control device for an etalon and a wavelength detecting section for identifying a wavelength of the laser by a front/back ratio of the etalon, the wavelength of the laser being set in a target wavelength on the basis of a detection result of the wavelength detecting section, and the method comprises: driving the laser at a first wavelength; suppressing output of light of the laser in response to a command indicating an optical output at a second wavelength; starting control of the temperature control device towards a second etalon temperature corresponding to the second wavelength; and before the etalon reaches the second etalon temperature, detecting that the etalon reaches a temperature range corresponding to an allowable wavelength range corresponding to the second wavelength, and cancelling the suppression of light in response thereto.

主权项

1. A method for switching an output wavelength of a tunable wavelength laser, the tunable wavelength laser being provided with a temperature control device and a wavelength detecting section including an etalon, the temperature control device controlling a temperature of the etalon, the wavelength detecting section identifying the output of the tunable wavelength laser by a ratio of intensity of light input to the etalon against intensity of light output from the etalon, and the output wavelength of the tunable wavelength laser being controlled to a target wavelength based on a detection result of the wavelength detecting section,
the method comprising: a first step of driving the tunable wavelength laser at a first wavelength; a second step of, after the first step, suppressing intensity of light output from the tunable wavelength laser in response to a command indicating preset intensity of light output from the tunable wavelength laser at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; a third step of, after the second step, starting control of the temperature control device such that the temperature of the etalon becomes close to a second etalon temperature corresponding to the second wavelength, the second etalon temperature being different from a first etalon temperature corresponding to the first wavelength; and a fourth step of, before the temperature of the etalon reaches the second etalon temperature, detecting whether the temperature of the etalon enters within a temperature range corresponding to an allowable wavelength range around the second wavelength of the tunable wavelength laser, and cancelling the suppression of the intensity of the light output from the tunable wavelength laser in response to the detection.