Frequency Control, Modulation, and Packaging of an SDL (100 mW) Laser Diode for a Free-Space Photonic Switching Fabric

We have frequency controlled, modulated, and packaged a laser diode for a photonic switching system. In this laser system the laser diode, the optical elements, the electronic components, and the grating mount were obtained as off-the-shelf items. This was an important feature because the production cost was decreased. The successful completion of the laser system not only required good optical, mechanical, and electronic designs but a number of tests to verify the laser pen performance. The process of the overall optimization of the laser system required approximately one and a half iterations for the optics, two iterations for the opto-mechanics, and two for the electronics.