SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Bookham, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKHM), a leading provider of optical components, modules and subsystems, has today announced the issuance of a US patent (US7145923) for its DS-DBR laser, which underpins the company’s portfolio of tunable laser technology. The patent is one of several covering aspects of the Bookham tunable product range and it specifically protects the company’s unique, monolithic, widely tunable laser design.

In the DS-DBR laser design, a multi-contact chirped grating is used in conjunction with a grating that produces a comb of reflective peaks to give a broad tuning range. By tuning portions of the chirped grating to overlap in wavelength, a single peak from the comb can be selected to determine the lasing wavelength. Fine tuning of the laser wavelength can be achieved by injecting current into both gratings. By selecting peaks sequentially, tuning can be achieved over the full range.

“Using the technology encapsulated in this patent, Bookham has developed wideband, InP-based tunable lasers for both C-band and L-band operation with very fast tuning times and with excellent output powers, spectral purity and reliability,” said Andy Carter, Vice President Research and Development at Bookham. “This DS-DBR laser design also provides a route towards further photonic integration, promising increased functionality on a single InP chip with the obvious benefits of low cost and small device size.”

Bookham Inc. (Nasdaq: BKHM; London: BHM)