Wavelength-tunable short-cavity DBR laser array with active distributed Bragg reflector

With the aim of developing a fast wavelength-tunable laser for advanced dynamic network reconfigurations or optical burst switching, a short-cavity (SC) distributed-Bragg-reflector (DBR) laser array with an active-DBR (ADBR) structure (SC-ADBR laser) was fabricated. First, it was experimentally confirmed that the ADBR structure compensates for optical loss and achieves stable single-mode operation during wavelength tuning. An artificial-laser-phase-adjustment technique in the SC-ADBR laser by precise adjustment of a DBR mirror was then proposed. By applying this technique to a six-channel SC-ADBR laser array, perfect wavelength accessibility across a 21-nm range was attained.