Wavelength tunable distributed Bragg reflectionlaser with a virtual diffraction grating that can be selectively operated.

摘要

The laser comprises a semiconductor guide layer (4) between two other contg. semiconductor layers (6,8) of opposite doping type. The passive part of the laser comprises sections (Scr,Scr,SC3) each providing a periodic structure which modulates spatially the distribution of carriers and electric field when a current is injected into the PN junction formed by the two other layers with reverse bias. A diffraction grating is thus created. Each section has an effective optical refractive index cooperating with the corresponding diffraction grating to operate at a given Bragg wavelength for this section.