Abstract

A frequency-shifted feedback (FSF) laser has an ultrahigh speed frequency-chirping up to several hundred PHzls depending on the cavity length and the modulation frequency.^1,2 Thus the FSF laser can be regarded as a pseudo-continuous spectral laser source if time response of observer is slow enough. Since a spectral width of the FSF laser depends on the gain width of the laser material, a compact, wide spectral width laser is achievable by using a semiconductor laser. In this paper, we demonstrate a FSF semiconductor laser with the spectral width of 780 GHz and the chirping rate of 134.9 PHz/s. By using gratings as an output coupler, the spectral width can be changed down to 85 GHz.

© 2002 Optical Society of America