A gratingless wavelength stabilized semiconductor laser

A single frequency laser structure is obtained by coupling a high order mode of a semiconductor waveguide to a low index polymer waveguide. The device does not require a grating or regrowth, emits in a mode compatible with optical fibers, and may be immune to catastrophic mirror damage. The epilayers of the semiconductor waveguide use quarterwave reflectors to support a mode with a low enough effective index to phase match to the polymer waveguide. The coupling between the two waveguides is highly frequency selective and therefore stabilizes the wavelength. Preliminary structures emit in a single longitudinal and spatial mode, have 30 dB of sidemode suppression, and emit about 6 mW into a fiber compatible mode. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.