Introduction
Integrated narrow-linewidth lasers with wavelength tunability are essential components for precision metrology and optical communication systems. However, conventional integrated laser designs are fundamentally limited by a trade-off between linewidth, tunability, and operational robustness—improving one parameter often comes at the expense of others.
In our recent work [1], we introduce a novel laser architecture termed the resonator-enhanced distributed Bragg reflector (RE-DBR) laser, which overcomes this limitation. The RE-DBR laser simultaneously achieves an ultra-narrow intrinsic linewidth of 24 Hz, wide mode-hop-free tuning range of 34 GHz, and robust turnkey operation. The design is based on a hybrid integrated semiconductor laser platform, featuring a grating-assisted ring resonator that functions as an external cavity providing narrow-band and tunable optical feedback.
We demonstrate that this architecture exhibits inherent resilience to fabrication imperfections and environmental perturbations, positioning the RE-DBR laser as a low-cost, manufacturable, field-deployable solution for high-coherence, tunable optical sources. Such lasers hold promise for a range of practical applications, including frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LiDAR, microwave photonics, spectroscopy, and fiber sensing.
Reference
- Yu, D., Geng, Z., Huang, Y. et al. Resonator-enhanced distributed Bragg reflector lasers. Light Sci Appl 15, 142 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02249-x