NEW OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES

TACAN Corporation proposes an innovative technology that will have a significant impact on promoting the optoelectronics industry in the United States. This technology is based on the development of wavelength-stable semiconductor diode lasers. With the proposed technology the wavelengths of these diode lasers are precisely determined and controlled by a temperature-stable Bragg reflector that provides strongly wavelength-selective reflection. Unlike standard Distributed Bragg Reflection (DBR) lasers, our approach uses a Bragg reflector that is made of a different material than the gain portion of the laser and separated from the gain region. Moreover, our Bragg reflectors are formed from glasses which are chosen for their superior temperature stability. Thus the laser emission wavelength is locked to a predetermined value. With this approach optimized and well-developed diode lasers may be combined with optimized Bragg reflectors. There are numerous applications of this technology. For example, in the communications arena our approach can provide hundreds of non-interfering wavelengths for dense wavelength division multiplexing. The development of this technology will give U.S. industry a lead in semiconductor laser technology that is now dominated by Japan.