An asymmetric sampled grating laser and its application to multi-wavelength laser array

Abstract

We propose an asymmetric sampled grating laser and a multi-wavelength laser array associated with it. Asymmetric sampling periods combined with an index shifter make it possible to use first order reflection for lasing operations. With the structure of our design, we achieved a simple fabrication procedure as well as a high yield without using complex and time-consuming e-beam lithography for multi-period gratings. We analyzed the effect of mirror coating by numerical analysis to improve single mode and power extraction performance. By using high reflectionantireflection coatings, we obtained high power extraction efficiency without degradation of the single mode property. For the multi-wavelength laser array, to gain wavelength control, we varied the sampling periods from one laser to an adjacent laser across the array. With this approach, we showed the feasibility of an array of up to 30 channels with 100 GHz wavelength spacing.