Multifrequency lasers and applications in WDM networks

The current status and applications of multifrequency lasers are reviewed. An MFL consists of an array of N optical amplifiers monolithically integrat ed with a 1 x N optical multiplexer. The laser provides the functionality o f N independent lasers whose optical wavelengths are precisely locked toget her by the common intracavity optical multiplexer. The design of an MFL tog ether with its fundamental characteristics will be discussed, and state-of- the-art results will be shown. The functionality of an MFL will be compared to that of an integrated DFB array. Finally, we will show some application s of single-wavelength tunable transmitters and multiwavelength transmitter s.