III-V-on-silicon three-section DBR laser with over 12  nm continuous tuning range

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Materials Science
• Photonics

Background:

• Heterogeneous integration of III-V materials on silicon is crucial for advanced photonic devices.
• Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) lasers are key components in optical communication and sensing systems.
• Achieving wide and stable wavelength tuning is a significant challenge in laser design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the device and tuning characteristics of a novel III-V-on-silicon DBR laser.
• To demonstrate continuous wavelength tuning capabilities.
• To achieve stable single-mode lasing over the tuning range.

Main Methods:

• Heterogeneous integration of III-V materials on a silicon platform.
• Utilizing a three-section distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser design.
• Employing thermal tuning via carrier injection in a passive tuning layer.
• Implementing a sidewall-corrugated silicon-on-insulator waveguide grating as a laser mirror.

Main Results:

• The developed laser exhibits a continuous wavelength tuning range exceeding 12 nm.
• Single-mode lasing was achieved with a side-mode suppression ratio greater than 30 dB.
• Stable laser performance was maintained across the entire tuning range.

Conclusions:

• The novel III-V-on-silicon DBR laser demonstrates significant potential for tunable light sources.
• The integration of silicon photonics with III-V materials enables advanced optoelectronic functionalities.
• The demonstrated tuning range and single-mode stability are promising for various applications.