WAVELENGTH-SELECTABLE LASER DEVICE AND APPARATUS AND SYSTEM INCLUDING SAME

摘要

A wavelength-selectable laser device generally includes an array of laser emitters and a filtered external cavity for filtering light emitted from the laser emitters and reflecting different wavelengths back to each of the laser emitters such that lasing occurs at different wavelengths for each of the laser emitters. Each laser emitter includes a gain region that emits light across a plurality of wavelengths including, for example, channel wavelengths in an optical communication system. The filtered external cavity may include a dispersive optical element that receives the light from each of the laser emitters at different angles and passes or reflects different wavelengths of the light at different angles such that only wavelengths associated with the respective laser emitters are reflected back to the respective laser emitters. By selectively emitting light from one or more of the laser emitters, one or more channel wavelengths may be selected for lasing and transmission.