Tunable Dual Semiconductor Laser

Parallel lasers interact in shared space to alter output wavelength. New device consists of two stripe lasers in aluminum gallium arsenide chip. Parallel stripes close enough so light from lower laser coupled into upper laser and vice versa. Lasers operated by low-duty-cycle current pulses. Lasing threshold of each about 100 mA. Currents controlled independently. Useful in optical communications systems employing wavelength-division multiplexing.