Fast wavelength-switching DFB laser array with 16 channels based on the REC technology

Fast tunable lasers with switching time less than one microsecond are key components in high-speed optical switching networks. In this paper, we propose an effective method to achieve high wavelength switching speed by turning on/off individual lasers of a matrix-grating DFB laser array. The laser array consists of 16 DFB lasers, which are arranged as a 4-by-4 matrix. Besides, the REC technique is used to simplify the fabrication of the grating and precisely control the grating phase. 16 channels with 2.4-nm-spacing are obtained and the SMSRs of all the 16 channels are above 40 dB, indicating good single mode operation. A high-speed driving circuit is designed to supply stable direct current for the DFB laser array and to control the switching process. The experimental result shows that the switching time between 2 channels is less than 100 nanoseconds.

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