Digital wavelength switching by thermal and carrier injection effects in V-coupled cavity semiconductor laser

Consecutive wavelength switching characteristics of a simple, compact, and digitally wavelength-switchable laser based on V-coupled cavities are reported. Wavelength switching through thermal and carrier injection effects is examined. Without using band gap engineering for the tuning section, 26- and 9-channel wavelength switching schemes are achieved via thermal and carrier injection effects, respectively. The performances of these two tuning schemes are then compared.