Narrowly spaced DFB array with integrated heaters for rapid tuning applications

We describe a 12-element distributed feedback laser array, with 10-/spl mu/m pitch, covering a 36-nm tuning range, and having an integrated heater on each element. The novel heater design heats just the active laser yet requires only one additional contact for the entire array. Each individual laser element can be temperature tuned more than 3.2 nm in under 100 /spl mu/s using its heater.