SBIR Phase I: Grating Structure for Diode Laser Wavelength Stabilization

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95604752 Field This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a low cost technique to provide highly reproducible wavelength stabilization of diode lasers. Frequency stabilized diode lasers are required for applications including wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) communications networks, process control, medical instrumentation, and data storage. At present these needs can only be met using expensive distributed feedback and distributed Bragg reflection diode lasers. This Phase I will provide an integrated optic reflection grating structure which can be used to stabilize and lock the output wavelength of inexpensive Fabry-Perot diode lasers, significantly reducing the cost of single frequency stabilized sources. The same grating fabrication process can be applied to stabilize the entire range of diode laser output wavelengths. The project will build and measure the performance of an integrated grating feedback device which may then be integrated into a prototype laser device in Phase II. The product is expected to be a frequency stabilized diode laser which operates at a pre-set optical frequency and which will be commercially applied in WDM communications networks, process control, medical instrumentation, and data storage. This technology has a sufficiently low cost that it may also stimulate applications beyond these markets.