Planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) exhibiting controllable transmissivity / reflectivity
Aspects of the present disclosure describe planar lightwave circuit systems, methods and structures including a resonant mirror assembly having cascaded resonators that provide or otherwise facilitate the control of the transmissivity/reflectivity of a planar lightwave circuit (PLC)—or portion thereof—over a range of 0% to substantially 100%.
1. A laser structure comprising:
a plurality of laser gain cavities sharing a single, resonant mirror assembly that forms a common end of the plurality of laser gain cavities such that the laser gain cavities are combined in parallel;
a plurality of phase shifters, each phase shifter of the plurality thereof being located within a different gain cavity of the plurality thereof; and
a tunable coupler that is optically coupled between a first gain cavity of the plurality thereof and the resonant mirror assembly.
2. The laser structure of claim 1 wherein the resonant mirror assembly is characterized by a free-spectral range, and wherein the resonant mirror assembly is tunable over any wavelength within the free-spectral range.
3. The laser structure of claim 1 further comprising a first phase shifter located within the first gain cavity of the plurality thereof.
4. A laser structure comprising:
a plurality of laser gain cavities sharing a single, resonant mirror assembly that forms a common end of the plurality of laser gain cavities such that the laser gain cavities are combined in parallel;
a plurality of optical-gain elements; and
a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide being an integrated-optics-based waveguide, wherein each waveguide of the plurality thereof is optically coupled between a different optical-gain element and the resonant mirror assembly.
5. The laser structure of claim 4 further comprising:
a first tunable coupler that is optically coupled between a first gain cavity of the plurality thereof and the resonant mirror assembly; and
a second tunable coupler that is optically coupled between the first tunable coupler and an output port at which the laser structure provides laser light.
6. The laser structure of claim 4 wherein at least one waveguide of the plurality thereof includes silicon nitride.