Output Characteristics of External-Cavity Mode-Hop-Free Tunable Laser Source in C+L Band

• DOI: 10.3390/photonics11070677
• Publication Date: 2024-07-23T15:06:42Z
• Authors: Jisheng Sun; Liqiang Qiu; Lei Liu; Liwen Sheng; Yudong Cui; Lin Huang; Mengchun Pan; Fushun Nian; Jiafei Hu
• Keywords: C+L band; tunable laser source; external-cavity; Applied optics. Photonics; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; mode-hop-free; TA1501-1820

Tunable laser sources with a wide wavelength tuning range, mode-hop-free (MHF) operation, and high spectral purity are essential for applications such as high-resolution spectroscopy, coherent detection, and intelligent fiber sensing. In this paper, we present a wide-range tunable laser source that operates without mode hopping, based on external cavity feedback using a semiconductor gain chip as the laser gain medium. The wavelength, power, and spectral characteristics of the laser are experimentally measured. A wide MHF continuous wavelength tuning range from 1480 nm to 1620 nm with a side-mode suppression ratio of more than 61.65 dB is achieved. An output optical power of more than 11.14 dBm with good power stability can also be realized in the full C+L band. This proposed external-cavity tunable laser source features a narrow intrinsic linewidth and MHF tunable radiation with a maximum sweep speed of 200 nm/s, enabling practical applications such as high-resolution vector spectrum analysis.