阅读说明：本技术 半导体激光器的发射波长和输出功率的独立控制 (Independent control of emission wavelength and output power of semiconductor lasers ) 是由 R·M·奥德特 M·A·阿尔伯雷 A·比斯穆托 Y·比达奥克斯 A·J·A·穆勒 于 2016-03-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及半导体激光器的发射波长和输出功率的独立控制,具体公开了一种驱动半导体激光器的方法。该方法包括向半导体激光器施加激光器注入电流,以生成激光器输出功率,以实现预定输出功率。该方法还包括向调谐元件施加调谐电流,以生成激光器发射波长,以实现预定激光器发射波长。半导体激光器和调谐元件被配置为彼此独立地控制半导体激光器的激光器发射波长和激光器输出功率。(The invention relates to independent control of emission wavelength and output power of a semiconductor laser, and particularly discloses a method for driving the semiconductor laser. The method includes applying a laser injection current to a semiconductor laser to generate a laser output power to achieve a predetermined output power. The method also includes applying a tuning current to the tuning element to generate a laser emission wavelength to achieve a predetermined laser emission wavelength. The semiconductor laser and the tuning element are configured to control a laser emission wavelength and a laser output power of the semiconductor laser independently of each other.)

1. A method of driving a semiconductor laser, comprising:

applying a laser injection current to the semiconductor laser to generate a laser output power to achieve a predetermined output power; and

applying a tuning current to the tuning element to generate a laser emission wavelength to achieve a predetermined laser emission wavelength; wherein the semiconductor laser and the tuning element are configured to control a laser emission wavelength and a laser output power of the semiconductor laser independently of each other.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying the laser injection current while maintaining a substantially uniform pedestal temperature such that the laser output power is linearly dependent on the laser injection current.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the laser output power is linearly dependent on the laser injection current when the laser injection current exceeds a laser threshold current.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a laser slope efficiency based at least in part on a linear dependence of the laser output power on the laser injection current when the laser injection current exceeds the laser threshold current.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying the tuning current to tune the laser emission wavelength while maintaining a substantially constant laser output power.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying a laser drive power while maintaining a substantially uniform pedestal temperature such that the laser emission wavelength is linearly dependent on the laser drive power.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the laser emission wavelength shifts to a lower laser emission wavelength as the laser drive power increases.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying a tuning element drive power while maintaining a substantially uniform laser injection current such that the laser output power is linearly dependent on the tuning element drive power.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the laser output power decreases as the tuning element drive power increases.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying a tuning element drive power while maintaining a substantially uniform laser injection current such that the laser emission wavelength is linearly dependent on the tuning element drive power.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tuning the laser emission wavelength within a predetermined tuning range while maintaining a substantially uniform laser output power when the laser injection current exceeds a laser threshold current.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the laser output power is less than a thermal switching power for a given tuning range.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a non-sinusoidally modulated laser injection current while maintaining a substantially uniform laser output power such that the laser output wavelength varies at least partially sinusoidally.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount of phase difference between the tuning current, the laser injection current, and a wavelength shift depends primarily on a modulation frequency of the tuning current.

15. An optical device, comprising:

a semiconductor laser, said semiconductor laser comprising:

a laser structure; and

a tuning structure;

logic configured to simultaneously apply a laser injection current to the laser structure and a tuning current to the tuning structure to control at least one of a laser emission wavelength or a laser output power independently of each other.

16. The optical device of claim 15, wherein the laser structure is thermally coupled with the tuning structure.

17. The optical device of claim 15, wherein the tuning structure is configured to generate heat to control a gain of the semiconductor laser.

18. The optical device of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor laser is at least one of a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser, a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL), an Interband Cascade Laser (ICL), or a type I laser.

19. A method of driving a tunable semiconductor laser with a tuning element, comprising:

modulating a laser injection current to a laser to generate a laser output power and a laser emission wavelength;

modulating a tuning current to the tuning element substantially simultaneously with modulating the laser injection current to produce a wider tuning range of laser emission wavelength, wherein the laser output power and the laser emission wavelength are independently controllable.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

comparing the predetermined laser output power to the measured laser output power based at least in part on the fitness value and the tuning element drive waveform; and

adjusting at least one of the laser injection current or the tuning element drive waveform based at least in part on the compared predetermined laser output power and actual laser output power to achieve the predetermined laser output power.

Technical Field

This document relates generally to methods for driving semiconductor lasers, and more particularly to independently controlling the emission wavelength and output power of the lasers.

Background

Semiconductor lasers may be used in a range of applications, and in some cases it may be desirable to have tunable lasers with narrow linewidths and single frequency emission. These applications may benefit from tunable lasers with extremely narrow linewidths and single frequency emissions.

To achieve narrow linewidths and wide tuning ranges, External Cavity Laser (ECL) systems, distributed bragg reflector lasers or distributed feedback lasers with integrated tuning elements may be employed. However, the performance of these systems and lasers may be limited by unwanted mechanical moving parts, slow response times, narrow tuning ranges, and nonlinear distortion in the laser output.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates to methods for driving tunable semiconductor lasers with integrated tuning elements. The method may include modulating the tuning current and the laser injection current such that the laser emission wavelength and output power are independently controllable. In some examples, the tuning current and the laser injection current are modulated simultaneously. In some examples, one or both of these currents are sinusoidally modulated. In some examples, a constant output power may be achieved when tuning the transmit wavelength. In some examples, a greater tuning range may be achieved by examples of the present disclosure compared to a laser whose tuning current and injection current are not modulated simultaneously. In some examples, the output power and tuning may follow a linear relationship. In some examples, the injection current and tuning element drive waveforms necessary to achieve the target output power and tuning waveform may be achieved by optimization based on the degree of fit between the target output power and the actual output power and the tuning waveform.

Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary system in which examples of the present disclosure may be implemented.

Fig. 2A shows a diagram of an external cavity laser system according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B shows a longitudinal view of an exemplary distributed bragg transmitter laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2C shows a longitudinal view of an exemplary distributed feedback laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4A illustrates an exemplary laser with an integrated tuning element according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4B illustrates an example thermally dependent time delay of a laser with an integrated tuning element according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4C illustrates an exemplary graph of light output power in response to a square wave driven on a tuning element electrode, where the rise time and fall time have asymmetry due to differences in thermally-related time delays, according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5A illustrates an exemplary relationship between laser injection current and laser output power according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5B illustrates an exemplary relationship between laser drive power and emission wavelength or wavenumber according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5C illustrates an exemplary relationship between injection current and laser voltage according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5D illustrates an exemplary relationship between temperature and thermal switching power of an active region according to an implementation example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5E illustrates an exemplary relationship between tuning element power and laser output power according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5F illustrates an exemplary relationship between tuning element power and emission wavelength or wavenumber according to examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5G illustrates an exemplary relationship between tuning element drive current and tuning element voltage according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary setup for simultaneous modulation and dynamic adjustment of emission wavelength and output power from a laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7A illustrates an exemplary sinusoidally modulated drive waveform applied to a tuning element and a constant drive waveform applied to a waveguide of a laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7B illustrates an exemplary sinusoidally modulated drive waveform applied to the electrodes of the laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7C illustrates an exemplary sinusoidally varying wavelength shift and constant output power below the thermal switching power from the laser according to examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7D illustrates an exemplary sinusoidally varying wavelength shift and output power at or near thermal switching power from a laser according to examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7E illustrates an exemplary sinusoidally varying wavelength shift and a constant output power equal to the system demand value according to an example shift embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7F illustrates an exemplary non-sinusoidally modulated drive waveform applied to the electrodes of the laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7G illustrates an exemplary linear ramp of emission wavelength where the constant output power is lower than the thermal flip power from the laser according to examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7H illustrates an exemplary linear ramp of transmit wavelength and output power at or near thermal flip power in accordance with an example of the invention.

Fig. 7I illustrates an exemplary variable wavelength shift and variable output power from a laser according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8A-8B illustrate an exemplary process flow for optimizing injection current and tuning element current according to an example of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 62/129,607 filed on 3/6/2015, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

In the following description of the examples, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific examples that may be implemented. It is to be understood that other examples may be used and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various examples.

Various techniques and process flow steps are described in detail with reference to examples as shown in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects and/or features described or referenced herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more aspects and/or features described or referenced herein may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not obscure certain aspects and/or features described or referenced herein.

Additionally, although process steps or method steps may be described in a sequential order, such processes and methods may be configured to occur in any suitable order. In other words, any order or sequence of steps described in this disclosure is not, by itself, indicative of a need to perform the steps in that order. Further, although described or implied as occurring non-concurrently (e.g., because one step is described after another), some steps may be performed concurrently. Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in the figures does not imply that the process shown does not include other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the process shown or any of its steps are essential to one or more examples, and does not imply that the process shown is preferred.

The present disclosure relates to a method for driving a tunable laser with an integrated tuning element. The tuning current and the laser injection current can be modulated such that the laser emission wavelength and output power are independently controllable. By having an emission wavelength and output power that are independently controllable, a wider tuning range (compared to a laser that does not modulate its tuning current and injection current at the same time) can be achieved, and the laser can emit a substantially constant output power while tuning the emission wavelength. In addition, unwanted mechanical moving parts and compromises in laser performance, such as slow response times and non-linear distortions, can be avoided or reduced.

This section describes representative applications of the methods and apparatus according to the present disclosure. These examples are provided merely to add context and aid in understanding the examples. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the examples may be practiced without some or all of the specific details. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be considered limiting.

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary system in which examples of the present disclosure may be implemented. The trace gas detection system 110 may include a display 112, a laser 114, and a detector 116. The laser 114 can be configurably operated using any of the methods and waveforms to be disclosed in the present invention.

Tunable semiconductor lasers are required for many applications such as trace gas detection, environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, communications, and industrial process control. In particular, these applications may benefit from tunable lasers with narrow or extremely narrow linewidths and single frequency emissions.

Although commonly used in large, bulky systems, tunable semiconductor lasers may also have many uses in portable electronic devices. For example, the wall mountable trace gas detection system 110 may be located in a garage of a user and may be used to detect whether the exhaust of a parked vehicle in the garage exceeds a safe level. The wall-mountable trace gas detection system 110 may provide an alert on the display 112 and transmit the information to the mobile phone. In response, the mobile phone may alert the user of the hazard and may prevent the user from entering the garage.

One way to achieve a wide tuning range is by using an External Cavity Laser (ECL) system. Fig. 2A shows a diagram of an external cavity laser system according to an example of the present disclosure. ECL system 208 may include gain medium 200, lens 202, and diffraction grating 204. The emission wavelength of ECL system 208 may be tuned by rotating diffraction grating 204. Although the ECL system 208 may achieve a wide tuning range, the system may also include macro-mechanical moving parts, and thus may have limited tuning speed, may require precise collimation, may be susceptible to mechanical vibrations, and may have a tendency to exhibit mode hopping. For many applications discussed in the foregoing, external cavity laser architectures may be impractical, especially if used in portable electronic devices.

Another way to achieve a wide tuning range and narrow line width is by incorporating a periodic structure into the semiconductor laser. Two types of lasers with combined periodic structures are Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) lasers and Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers.

Fig. 2B shows a longitudinal view of an exemplary DBR laser according to an example of the present disclosure. The DBR laser 210 may include one or more diffraction gratings in a grating portion 212 that may be separate from a gain portion 214. In some examples, the DBR laser 210 may include grating portions, such as grating portion 212 located at both ends of the device (not shown). A diffraction grating may be located on or above the active region 216 and may be employed to provide optical feedback to reflect light back into the cavity to form a resonator. The grating may be configured to reflect only a narrow band of wavelengths to produce a single longitudinal mode of wavelength, and the period of the grating may be adjusted to achieve a particular laser emission wavelength.

Fig. 2C shows a longitudinal view of an exemplary DFB laser according to an example of the present disclosure. DFB laser 220 may include a diffraction grating located in a grating portion 222 that may be integrated into or located in an active region 226. The structure and function of the diffraction grating of a DFB laser may be similar to that of a DBR laser. However, unlike DBR lasers in which the grating portion 212 is separate from the gain portion 214, DFB lasers can have a gain portion that coincides with the grating portion. Because the gain section of the DFB laser can be located in the same region as the grating section 222, the DFB laser can have a shorter cavity length. In addition, DFB lasers are less susceptible to mode hopping.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a laser according to an example of the present disclosure. Laser 300 may include a substrate 310, a cladding layer 312, an insulating cladding 318, an active region 314, and an electrode 316. Laser 300 may be mounted to or in contact with heat sink 320. The laser 300 may be operated, for example, by supplying an injection current I_LTo the power supply 324. To tune the emission wavelength of the laser 300, the temperature of the active region 314 or the injection current I may be adjusted_L. In some examples, the temperature may be adjusted to coarsely tune the emission wavelength, and the injection current I may be adjusted_LFor more precise tuning.

To regulate the temperature of active region 314, thermoelectric cooler (TEC)322 may apply heat to heatsink 320. Heat may travel through the electrode 316, substrate 310, and cladding layer 312 to the active region 314 causing the index of refraction of the grating (located on or above the active region 314) to change. The refractive index change may result in a change in the emission wavelength. Thus, the emission wavelength of laser 300 can be tuned by varying the amount of heat applied through TEC 322. Tuning by the applied heat, however, can present several problems. Heating the laser may require significant power from the TEC 322. For some devices, such as portable electronic devices, it may not be practical to require significant power, and therefore has stringent power constraints due to portability and size requirements. Additionally, heating the laser 300 with the TEC 322 may result in a slow response, resulting in a slow tuning speed, as the TEC 322 may need to cool and heat the laser 300, the heat sink 320, and a heat spreader (not shown). Thus, the time delay between applying heat and reaching the target emission wavelength may be on the order of seconds, and many applications may require faster adjustment of the laser emission wavelength.

Another method of tuning the laser 300 may be by injecting a current I_L. Can use the injection current I_LTo drive the laser through the electrode 316. Similar to using heater 322, the injection current I_LThe active region 314 may be heated, thereby causing the emission wavelength to change. Although tuning with injection current may provide precise adjustment of the wavelength, the tuning range may be limited when using this approachBecause of the high injection currents required to substantially increase the temperature, the laser efficiency may be reduced. For example, the tuning range may be on the order of about 0.2% from the nominal wavelength. For a 9 μm laser, a tuning range of only 0.036 μm may result, which may not be sufficient for applications such as spectroscopy. Furthermore, independent control of the laser output power and emission wavelength may not be possible, as both output power and emission wavelength may be affected by the injection current.

One approach for overcoming the problems encountered with tuning by TEC or by injection current may be to use integrated tuning elements. Fig. 4A illustrates an exemplary laser with an integrated tuning element according to an example of the present disclosure. The laser 450 may include a substrate 460, a cladding layer 462, an insulating cladding 463, an active region 464, electrodes 456, 466, and 468, and a resistive cladding 461. The laser 450 may include two separate structures 480 and 482. For example, structure 480 may be a tuning element and structure 482 may be a laser structure. A power supply 474 may be connected to the top and bottom electrodes 456 and 468 of the laser structure 482 to provide an injection current I_LTo drive the laser 450. The tuning element or structure 480 may be an electrical connection structure proximate to the structure 482. A power supply 476 may be connected to the top electrode 466 to provide a tuning current I for driving a tuning element or structure 480_T. In one embodiment, the grooves 478 form a resistor that generates heat when the power source 476 provides current. Although fig. 4A shows power supplies 474 and 476 as current sources, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any type of power supply may be connected. Examples of the present disclosure may include, but are not limited to, a power supply 476 that changes the modal index of the laser waveguide by heating, plasma dispersion effects, photoelectric effects, or a combination.

The power supply 474 may inject a current I_LThe laser is driven to achieve a target output power, and the power supply 476 may tune the current I_TThe temperature of the active region 464 is adjusted to achieve the target emission wavelength. However, the injection current I is regulated_LThe temperature of the active region 464 can be influenced and the tuning current I adjusted_LThe gain of the laser 450 may be affected. Due to the injection current I_LAnd a tuning current I_TNot completely decoupled, thus regulating the injection current I_LAnd adjusting the tuning current I_TLimited flexibility in optimizing the emission wavelength may be provided without negatively affecting the optical loss or electrical performance of the laser.

The laser may also include a plurality of thermally related time delays, as shown in FIG. 4B. Paths 490 and 496 may be associated with tuning element current or heating caused by power supply 476. Paths 492 and 494 may be associated with heating or cooling caused by TEC 422. The heating along path 490 diffuses from the tuning element to the active region 464 in the laser structure, resulting in a time delay that can be on the order of hundreds of μ seconds. The heating along the path 496 may diffuse through the insulating cover 463, the substrate 460, and the electrode 468 to the TEC 422. Heating along path 494 may diffuse from a heat sink (not shown) and base plate 460 to active area 464 to heat the laser ridge, and heating along path 492 may diffuse from the laser ridge to base plate 460 and heat sink to cool the laser ridge. The time delay from paths 492 and 494 may be about 1-100 ms. The use of power supplies 476 and 474 with TEC 422 may result in non-linear distortion and long response times due to the large difference between the time delays of path 490 and path 492/494. Fig. 4C illustrates an example graph of square wave modulated output power response of the tuning element power supply 476 due to differences in thermally related time delays in accordance with an example of the disclosure.

Fig. 5A-5C illustrate exemplary effects of varying injection current applied to a laser according to examples of the present disclosure. Fig. 5A illustrates an exemplary relationship between laser injection current and laser output power according to an example of the present disclosure. For a constant heat sink temperature, the laser output power may depend linearly on the injection current above the laser threshold current. The slope efficiency of the laser may be determined based on the linear correlation. At high injection currents, this linear dependence may break down as the internal quantum efficiency decreases due to an increase in active region temperature, which in turn may cause output power saturation (i.e., thermal inversion).

Fig. 5B illustrates an exemplary relationship between laser drive power and emission wavelength or wavenumber according to an example of the present disclosure. For a constant heat sink temperature, the emission wavelength or wavenumber may depend linearly on the laser drive power. As shown, the emission wavelength may be red-shifted with increasing drive power. As described above, a change in the temperature of the active region may result in a change in the refractive index, and thus a change in the emission wavelength.

Fig. 5C illustrates an exemplary relationship between injection current and laser voltage according to an example of the present disclosure. The shift in emission wavelength caused by thermal tuning may be proportional to the power dissipation inside the laser, which may be related to the product of voltage and current. Due to the relationship between injection current and laser voltage shown in the figure, the emission wavelength may not be directly proportional to the injection current.

Fig. 5D illustrates an exemplary relationship between temperature and thermal switching power of an active region according to an example of the present disclosure. As described above, although increasing the injection current may result in an increase in output power, the temperature of the active region may increase. Above a certain injection current, the temperature of the active region may be so high that the efficiency of the laser is reduced and a deviation in the linear dependence (or slope as illustrated in fig. 5A) is caused. Within the safe operating range of the laser, the output power may saturate up to a maximum output power (i.e., the thermal switching power or where the derivative of the power with the injection current is zero). The maximum output power or thermal flip power may depend on many factors including, but not limited to, heat sink or substrate temperature, tuning or heating current, device length, and device design. The thermal switching power may be reduced as the temperature of the active region increases, as shown in the figure. Thus, for the same laser device, the thermal switching power may vary depending on the operating conditions.

Fig. 5E-5G illustrate exemplary effects of changing a tuning element of a laser according to examples of the present disclosure. Fig. 5E illustrates an exemplary relationship between tuning element power and laser output power according to an example of the present disclosure. For a constant laser injection current, the laser output power may depend linearly on the tuning element power. As shown in the figure, the laser output power may decrease as the tuning power increases.

Fig. 5F illustrates an exemplary relationship between tuning element power and emission wavelength or wavenumber according to examples of the present disclosure. For a constant laser injection current, the emission wavelength may depend approximately linearly on the tuning element drive power. As shown in the figure, the laser output power may decrease as the tuning element drive power increases.

Fig. 5G illustrates an exemplary relationship between tuning element drive current and tuning element voltage according to an example of the present disclosure. At high tuning element currents, the IV curve of the tuning element may become non-linear. This non-linear relationship may cause the laser output power and emission wavelength to deviate from having a known relationship (e.g., a quadratic relationship) with respect to the tuning element current. Simultaneous optimization of emission wavelength and output power may become a challenge due to deviations from known relationships and due to coupling between injection current and tuning element current and emission wavelength and output power. In addition, the performance (e.g., tuning range and output power) of the laser may be limited.

Fig. 6 illustrates a setup for simultaneous modulation and dynamic adjustment of the emission wavelength and output power of a laser according to an example of the present disclosure. The setup may include a laser 600. Laser 600 may include, but is not limited to, a DFB or DBR semiconductor laser, such as a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL), Interband Cascade Laser (ICL), or type I laser. In some examples, the laser may operate in several wavelength ranges, including near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelength ranges. Laser 600 may include two independent electrodes 664 and 666. One electrode, such as electrode 664, may be coupled to a tuning element (such as structure 480 shown in fig. 4A). Another electrode, such as electrode 666, may be coupled to a laser structure (such as structure 482 shown in fig. 4A).

Two power sources may be coupled to the electrodes to independently drive the electrodes. For example, a power supply 676 may be coupled to the electrode 666 of the tuning element and a power supply 674 may be coupled to the electrode 664 of the laser. The output 672 of the laser 600 may be directed to a lens 630, which may reflect off a mirror 632. The beam splitter 634 may split the beam into two different paths 640 and 642. Path 640 may be directed to detector 644. Path 642 may be directed to a mirror 636, which may reflect the light to a detector 646. Detector 644 can measure the laser output power and detector 646 can measure the emission wavelength. In some examples, an etalon may be included in path 642 between mirror 636 and detector 646. In some examples, a spectrometer may be used to measure the emission wavelength. Detection signals from the detectors 644 and 646 may be input to a computer or controller 650.

The controller 650 may monitor for deviations between the detected signal and the target signal or response waveform. Based on the deviation, the controller 650 may generate drive waveforms 613 and 615. The drive waveforms 613 and 615 may be new or adjusted waveforms for minimizing or reducing skew. Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) 652 and 654 may be coupled to the controller 650 and the power supplies 674 and 676 to convert signals or waveforms generated by the controller 650 from digital signals to analog signals.

Fig. 7A-7B and 7F illustrate exemplary drive waveforms applied to electrodes of a laser according to examples of the present disclosure. Fig. 7C-7E, 7G-7I illustrate exemplary output waveforms of a laser according to examples of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 7A, the tuning current 702 may be sinusoidally modulated, while the laser injection current 704 may be constant. In some examples, the tuning current 702 and the laser injection current 704 may both be sinusoidally modulated (as shown in fig. 7B). In some examples, the laser injection current 704 may be proportional to the square root of the sine of the modulation tuning current 702.

An exemplary resulting output waveform is shown in fig. 7C, where the wavelength shift 706 of the laser may vary sinusoidally. Additionally, the laser may emit a constant or substantially constant output power 708. This example shows that a substantially constant output power can be achieved when tuning the wavelength. Where the injection current is greater than the threshold current, the output power may be less than the thermal switching power for a given tuning range or range of wavelength shifts. Thus, the output power may be varied (increased or decreased) to achieve the desired tuning range. Achieving a constant output power at tuned wavelengths is useful for applications such as wavelength modulation spectroscopy.

Fig. 7D illustrates an exemplary wavelength according to an example of the present disclosure, wherein the laser may be operated such that the output power is close to the thermal flip power. The laser may be operated at an output power where the slope of the output power versus current begins to deviate from a linear relationship (i.e., approaching the thermal switching power). In some examples, the laser may be operated such that the output power is substantially equal to the thermal switching power, resulting in a reduced tuning range compared to if output power 708 is much lower than thermal switching power 710. In some examples, the laser may operate from an output power between the offset of the linear relationship and the thermal flip power (i.e., the power at which the derivative of the output power with respect to current is zero). Examples of the present disclosure include adjusting the operating conditions of the laser such that the derivative of the output power with respect to current is zero, given the active region temperature. Operating the laser so that the output power 708 is substantially equal to or close to the thermal flip power 710 may be useful for applications such as wavelength modulation spectroscopy normalized to a reference detector.

In some examples, a larger tuning range may be achieved by reducing the output power. In some examples, the laser may be operated such that the output power may be based on requirements required by the system or application in which the laser is employed. By operating the laser under conditions that meet the system optical power requirements 711 but do not significantly exceed the requirements, a larger tuning range or wavelength shift may be achieved than if the laser were operated above the system requirements, as shown in fig. 7E. For example, a trace gas detection system (discussed above and shown in fig. 1) located in a garage of a user may be configured such that the detected carbon monoxide level of less than 400ppm is within safe levels. The system requirements may be defined by operating conditions that detect 400ppm carbon monoxide. A laser associated with the trace gas detection system (such as laser 114 shown in fig. 1) may then be operated at a value such that the system requirements are met, 400ppm carbon monoxide is detected, and a wider tuning range is achieved (than operating a laser such that the system requirements are exceeded). In some examples, the value may be equal to system operation at 1-10% above system demand.

In some examples, there may be different amounts of phase between the tuning current 702, the laser injection current 704, and the wavelength shift 706 based on the frequency of the modulation. In some examples, the phase difference between the laser injection current 704 and the wavelength shift 706 may be 0 ° or 180 °. While the present disclosure includes hot melt as the tuning mechanism, examples of the present disclosure may also include, but are not limited to, other tuning mechanisms such as current carrying concentration modulation.

Fig. 7F illustrates an exemplary non-sinusoidally modulated drive waveform applied to the electrodes of the laser according to an example of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, tuning current 712 may be modulated, but unlike tuning current 702 of fig. 7A, tuning current 712 may be non-sinusoidal in order to correct for non-linearities and thermal time constants, such as those discussed above. Additionally, the laser injection current 714 may be non-sinusoidal. The result may be a sinusoidally varying output wavelength and constant output power.

Fig. 7G illustrates an exemplary linear ramp of emission wavelength where the constant output power is lower than the thermal flip power from the laser according to examples of the present disclosure. This example also shows that the emission wavelength can be tuned without affecting the output power of the laser. It may be useful for applications such as direct absorption spectroscopy when the linearly tuned laser achieves a constant output power less than the thermal switching power 730.

In some examples, the laser may be operated such that the output power waveform has the same shape as the thermal flip power, as shown in fig. 7H. Fig. 7H illustrates an exemplary linear ramp of emission wavelength and output power near thermal switching power in accordance with an example of the invention. The laser may be operated under conditions such that the output power 728 is substantially equal to the thermal switching power 730 and the wavelength shift 726 is linearly varied. Such linear changes in emission wavelength may be useful for applications such as direct absorption spectroscopy normalized to a reference detector.

Fig. 7I illustrates an exemplary variable wavelength shift and variable output power over time from a laser according to an example of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, both the output power 748 and the wavelength shift 746 may vary sinusoidally. In some examples, both the output power 748 and the wavelength shift 746 may be non-harmonically related frequency changes. Simultaneous sinusoidal modulation of both output power and emission wavelength may be useful for applications such as wavelength modulation spectroscopy.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary figures described above may represent a target waveform. In some examples, the resulting output waveform may be different from the target waveform due to the presence of non-linearity (not shown).

Fig. 8A-8B illustrate an exemplary process flow for optimizing injection current and tuning element current according to an example of the present disclosure. Process 800 may begin by dividing a time interval into a series of sample points (step 802). In some examples, process 800 may be performed by a processor or controller (such as controller 650 of fig. 6). In some examples, the time interval may be based on a desired power and a repeating period of the wavelength response waveform. The controller may determine a target output power and emission wavelength at each sample point (step 804) and may calculate a desired photodiode signal therefrom (step 806). The desired photodiode signal may be based on factors such as the response curve of the photodiode, the length of the etalon, the optical characteristics of the etalon, the response of the spectrometer, or any combination.

The controller may set the tuning element current and the laser drive current to initial values (step 808). In some examples, the tuning element may be set to zero and the laser drive current may be set to a constant value above a threshold (i.e., a value at which the laser is on). Alternatively, the laser may be driven with a predetermined waveform. In some examples, the predetermined waveform may be based on prior characterization data from the laser. The predetermined waveform may include, but is not limited to, an optical IV curve and a step response to the injection current disturbance for different injection currents and tuning element currents. The controller or signal acquisition system may detect the output signal and digitize over a time interval (step 810). In some examples, the time interval may be one time interval. In some examples, the output signals may be signals measured from detectors (such as detectors 644 and 646 of fig. 6).

From the output signal or waveform, a fitness may be calculated (step 812). The goodness of fit (GOF) may be a figure of merit, including output power and emission wavelength, used to quantify the difference between a target laser output or waveform and a measured laser output or waveform. For example, a GOF can be defined as:

where W (t) is the measurement wavelength at time t, W_T(t) is the target wavelength at time t, P (t) is the measured output power at time t, P_T(t) is the target output power at time t, w₁And w₂Is a weighted value and P is the number of sample points in the time interval.

The controller may optimize the drive injection current or the tuning element current or both (step 814). Process 850 of fig. 8B illustrates an exemplary flow chart for optimizing the drive injection current or tuning element current. The controller may begin at a first sample point in a time interval (step 852). The controller may vary the laser injection current or the tuning element current or both in a first direction (step 854) and then detect the output waveform from the variation in the first direction (step 856) and calculate the first GOF (step 856). The controller may also vary the laser injection current or the tuning element current or both in a second direction (step 860), and then detect an output waveform from the variation in the second direction (step 862) and calculate a second GOF (step 864). In some examples, the first direction may be opposite the second direction. For example, the first direction may be one step size higher than the injection current set in step 808 of fig. 8A and the second direction may be one step size lower than the injection current set in step 808 of fig. 8A. In step 868, the first GOF and the second GOF may be compared. The drive waveform can be adjusted based on which GOF has the lowest value (compared to another GOF) or deviates from a predetermined or target GOF.

The controller may determine whether all sample points have been tested (step 870). If not, the controller can move to the next sample point (step 872) and repeat the adjustment process for that next sample point. If all sample points have been tested, the drive waveform can be stored in memory (step 874).

In some examples, processes 800 and 850 may be repeated until a GOF value is reached. In some examples, processes 800 and 850 may run continuously or in incremental cycles with the laser operating to actively correct for any drift in power supply characteristics over time.

One or more of the functions described above may be performed, for example, by firmware stored in memory or by a processor or controller (such as controller 650 of fig. 6). The firmware can also be stored and/or transported within any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" can be any medium (excluding signals) that can contain or store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a Random Access Memory (RAM) (magnetic), a read-only memory (ROM) (magnetic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) (magnetic), a portable optical disk (such as a CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, or DVD-RW), or a flash memory (such as compact flash cards, secured digital cards), a USB memory device, a memory stick, or the like. In the context of this document, a "transmission medium" can be any medium that can communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport readable medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or infrared wired or wireless propagation medium.

In some examples, a method of driving a laser having a tuning element and a waveguide is disclosed. The method can comprise the following steps: applying a first waveform to a tuning element of a laser; applying a second waveform to the waveguide of the laser; the first waveform is modulated while the second waveform is modulated, wherein the emission wavelength and the output power of the laser are independently controllable. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the first waveform is different from the second waveform. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the first waveform and the second waveform at a non-harmonic frequency. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, at least one of the first and second waveforms is sinusoidal. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, at least one of the first waveform and the second waveform is non-sinusoidal. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other embodiments, the method further comprises modulating the first and second waveforms to sinusoidally vary the emission wavelength. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other embodiments, the method further comprises modulating the first waveform and the second waveform to maintain the output power at a constant value. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, wherein the laser is included in a system having requirements, the method further comprises modulating the second waveform such that the system operates on demand. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the second waveform such that a derivative of the output power with respect to the injection current is zero. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the first and second waveforms such that the output power varies at least partially sinusoidally. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the second waveform includes a 0 ° or 180 ° phase shift from the emission wavelength. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the first waveform and the second waveform such that the emission wavelength is constant or linearly varying. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the first waveform and the second waveform such that a derivative of the output power with respect to the injection current is zero. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the first waveform and the second waveform such that the emission wavelength varies linearly and the output power is constant. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises modulating the first and second waveforms such that the emission wavelength is constant and the output power varies sinusoidally. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the method further comprises: detecting the emission wavelength; detecting output power; determining a first difference between the detected emission wavelength and a target wavelength; determining a second difference between the output power and the target power; and adjusting at least one of the first waveform and the second waveform to reduce at least one of the first difference and the second difference.

In some examples, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is disclosed. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium may store one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a device, cause the device to perform a method, the method comprising: applying a first waveform to a first electrode of a laser, wherein the first electrode is coupled to a tuning element of the laser; applying a second waveform to a second electrode of the laser, wherein the second electrode is coupled to a waveguide of the laser; and modulating the first waveform and simultaneously modulating the second waveform.

In some examples, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include: a laser having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is driven by a first waveform and the second electrode is driven by a second waveform; and logic configured to simultaneously modulate the first waveform and the second waveform, wherein at least one of the emission wavelength and the output power of the laser is based on the simultaneous modulation of the first waveform and the second waveform. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the tuning range of the laser is at least 0.2% of the center wavelength of the laser. Alternatively or additionally to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in other examples, the laser is a Distributed Feedback (DFB) laser or a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser. Alternatively or in lieu of one or more of the examples disclosed above, in other examples the laser is a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL), Interband Cascade Laser (ICL), or type I laser. Alternatively or additionally to one or more examples disclosed above, in other examples, the first electrode forms a portion of a tuning element and the second electrode forms a portion of a laser structure, the tuning element being thermally coupled to the laser structure.

Although the disclosed examples have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such changes and modifications are to be considered as included within the scope of the disclosed examples as defined by the appended claims.