GaAs/AlGaAs-Based 870-nm-Band Widely Tunable Edge-Emitting V-Cavity Laser

An 870-nm-band wavelength tunable edge-emitting semiconductor laser based on V-coupled cavities in a GaAs/AlGaAs material system is presented. It does not involve any grating or epitaxial regrowth. Using a single electrode control, 31-channel wavelength tuning with a channel spacing of about 0.38 nm is achieved, with a tuning range of 11.4 nm. By additionally varying the temperature from 8 degrees C to 50 degrees C, wavelength tuning of 60 channels over 22.4 nm is demonstrated. At lower tuning current and with a temperature variation of 18 degrees C, wavelength switching by carrier plasma effect is achieved with a tuning range of 8.2 nm. The simple and compact 870-nm-band edge-emitting tunable laser is suitable for multifunctional photonic integration for optical interconnect and biomedical applications.