Dual-wavelength external cavity laser with a sampled grating formed in a silica PLC waveguide for terahertz beat signal generation

We propose and demonstrate a dual-wavelength external cavity laser (ECL). In our design, a Fabry-Pérot laser diode (FP-LD) is hybrid-integrated with a sampled Bragg grating written in a silica planar lightwave circuit (PLC). The grating selects two laser wavelengths that share the same laser cavity. The dual-wavelength oscillation with a side mode suppression ratio >32 dB has been demonstrated experimentally. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid-integrated dual-wavelength ECL exhibits strong dual-wavelength emission corresponding to beat frequency of 1 THz. Simulations of this system also indicate good mutual coherence of the two modes and stability of the 1 THz beat signal.