High-power and narrow-linewidth tunable distributed-reflector laser

Deployment of digital coherent transmission technologies to metro networks drives the use of higher-order modulation formats such as PDM-16QAM and downsizing of optical transceivers. A narrow-linewidth (<300 kHz) tunable laser with high output power (>+17 dBm) is very attractive for such purposes, not only because it can compensate for the modulation loss increase caused by a high-peak-to-average ratio of the electrical driving signal of higher-order modulation formats, but also because it can be shared between transmitter and receiver saving the foot-print and power dissipation. This paper reviews the Tunable Distributed Amplification - Chirped Sampled Grating - Distributed Reflector (TDA-CSG-DR) laser being developed for metro application.