Andrei P. Bakoz

Compact external cavity laser with photonic crystal cavity reflector

Energy efficient Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) is the key to satisfying the future bandwidth requirements of datacentres. As the silicon photonics platform is regarded the only technology able to meet the required power and cost efficiency levels, the development of silicon photonics compatible narrow linewidth lasers is now crucial. We discuss the requirements for such laser systems and report the experimental demonstration of an external-cavity hybrid lasers consisting of a III-V Semiconductor Optical Amplifier and Photonic Crystal (PhC) based resonant reflector.

Frequency modulated external cavity laser with photonic crystal resonator and microheater

We demonstrate frequency modulation (FM) in an external cavity III-V/Silicon laser, comprising a Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (RSOA) and an SU8 polymer waveguide vertically coupled to a 2D Silicon Photonic Crystal (PhC) cavity. Laser FM was achieved by local heating of the PhC using a resistive element of Ni-Cr metal as a microheater to change the refractive index in the cavity hence changing the lasing frequency. Presented is a thermal study of the laser dynamics and observations of the shift in lasing frequency.

Hybrid photonic crystal lasers

Energy efficient Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) is the key to satisfying the future bandwidth requirements of datacentres. As the silicon photonics platform is regarded the only technology able to meet the required power and cost efficiency levels, the development of silicon photonics compatible narrow linewidth lasers is now crucial. We discuss the requirements for such laser systems and report the experimental demonstration of a compact uncooled external-cavity mW-class laser architecture with a tunable Si Photonic Crystal resonant reflector, suitable for direct Frequency Modulation.

Compact IlI-V/silicon external cavity laser configuration with photonic crystal cavity reflector for direct frequency modulation

We report a compact uncooled external-cavity mWatt-class laser architecture with a tunable Si Photonic Crystal resonant reflector, suitable for direct Frequency Modulation. Wavelength shifts of the order of GHz for linewidths <;10 MHz and SMSRs up to 46 dB were observed.

Photonic crystal reflector laser

We describe the lasing characteristics of a semiconductor laser device, utilising a reflective semiconductor amplifier as a combined gain/mirror component, and a high Q photonic crystal reflective filter as the second cavity mirror.

Lasing dynamics of photonic crystal reflector laser

We describe the lasing characteristics of a compact tunable laser source formed by the butt-coupling of a reflective indium phosphide optical amplifier to an SU8 waveguide coupled to few-mode photonic crystal reflector. The short cavity length ensured that only a single longitudinal mode of the device could overlap with each photonic crystal reflection peak.