A broadband gain material for widely tunable lasers

Summary form only given. Future broadband networks using WDM technologies require a large number of wavelengths. Widely tunable MQW lasers are key elements to be used. Using the selective-area-growth (SAG) technique, one can change the MQW size and material composition simultaneously. A broader gain profile can be easily obtained. Since the photoluminenscence (PL) peak shifts along the SAG waveguide, one can potentially control the gain profile by using spatial dependent current injection. In this paper we report a semiconductor laser with more then 200 nm tuning range based on this new type of material. The grown active material consists of four 2.5 nm thick InGaAsP 1.42 quantum wells.