Widely tunable narrow-linewidth lasers with booster amplification on silicon photonics

Abstract

Achieving high-power, narrow-linewidth, and low-intensity-noise (RIN) widely tunable lasers on silicon photonics (SiPh) platforms remains a critical challenge for transformative photonic applications. In this work, we present the micro-transfer printing of double-ridge InP/InGaAs semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) onto a silicon photonics platform to realize on-chip widely tunable lasers. The double-ridge SOA structure enables simultaneous control of laser cavity gain and laser output optical amplification. The resulting tunable laser exhibits a wide tuning range exceeding 51 nm and delivers a waveguide-coupled output power of 10 mW per wavelength. Additionally, the device achieves a narrow linewidth of 1.6 kHz and a low RIN of approximately −140 dB/Hz. These characteristics underscore the suitability of the device for demanding applications in wavelength-division multiplexing systems and photonic sensing. This approach demonstrates a viable pathway toward compact and high-performance laser-based photonic systems-on-chip.

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