Methods and systems for controlling the output wavelength of semiconductor lasers

Abstract

This application discloses a method and system for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser, comprising: acquiring the real-time ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser; and changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, thereby controlling the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to stabilize. This application embodiment can control the output wavelength value of the semiconductor laser by changing its actual operating temperature without altering its internal structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor laser technology, and specifically to a method and system for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, semiconductor lasers have important and wide applications in practical fields such as optical communication.

[0003] Existing wavelength stabilization technologies for semiconductor lasers are mainly categorized into current control technology, temperature control technology, and mechanical control technology. Among these, temperature control technology is primarily used in distributed-feedback laser (DFB-LD) structures, where its function is to adjust the temperature within the laser cavity, thereby enabling the emission of different wavelengths.

[0004] However, the wavelength of existing semiconductor lasers can drift with changes in ambient temperature, thus affecting the stability of the semiconductor laser wavelength output. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a method and system for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser, which solves the defect in the prior art that the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser will drift with changes in the temperature of the external environment, thereby affecting the stability of the wavelength output of the semiconductor laser.

[0006] According to one aspect of this application, a method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser is provided, comprising:

[0007] Obtain the real-time ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser;

[0008] When the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is changed to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to stabilize.

[0009] In this solution, by temperature calibration, the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser during operation is obtained and compared with the calibrated operating temperature. When the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser deviates from the calibrated operating temperature, the change in ambient temperature can be compensated by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser without altering its internal structure. This allows for control of the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser, thereby achieving the goal of stabilizing the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser.

[0010] Optionally, the semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip, the light-emitting chip including an active region for generating laser light upon injection of current, the real-time operating temperature of the semiconductor laser being the actual temperature of the active region, and the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser being the wavelength of the laser light; the light-emitting chip is connected to a semiconductor cooling chip; the method further includes:

[0011] The actual operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is changed so as to change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through thermal conduction between the semiconductor cooling chip and the light-emitting chip.

[0012] In this scheme, based on the dependency between temperature and bandgap, the bandgap of the active region of the semiconductor can be changed by controlling the temperature of the active region, thereby enabling the wavelength of the semiconductor laser to be tuned. This prior knowledge changes the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor cooler, and the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is changed through heat conduction between the semiconductor cooler and the light-emitting chip.

[0013] Optionally, obtaining the real-time ambient temperature during semiconductor laser operation includes:

[0014] The real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser during operation is obtained from the second temperature sensor.

[0015] In this solution, by adding an external circuit, a second temperature sensor is placed in the external circuit to obtain the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser. In this way, the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser can be obtained quickly through the second temperature sensor.

[0016] Optionally, the method further includes a first temperature sensor for detecting the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler; the change of the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler includes:

[0017] The temperature correction relationship required to maintain the stable output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is queried to obtain a target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature; the temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip.

[0018] The actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler is changed so that the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature.

[0019] In this solution, by using the temperature correction relationship between the target operating temperature that must be met to avoid wavelength shift and the real-time ambient temperature, the target operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler under stable wavelength conditions can be quickly determined by looking up the temperature correction relationship when the ambient temperature varies greatly. Thus, the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler can be adjusted based on this target operating temperature.

[0020] Optionally, the temperature correction relationship is obtained through the following steps:

[0021] A device for detecting the wavelength offset of the laser output from the semiconductor laser;

[0022] The ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser is changed, and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is adjusted so that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value; wherein, when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is stable.

[0023] The operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor is obtained when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value under different ambient temperatures. The corresponding relationship between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is obtained when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, so as to obtain the temperature correction relationship.

[0024] This solution provides a method for obtaining the temperature correction relationship based on a wavelength offset detection device.

[0025] Optionally, the wavelength shift detection device performs the following operations on the input laser:

[0026] The laser beam is split into two optical paths by a splitter; one of the two optical paths is a reference optical path.

[0027] The optical path processor processes the other of the two optical paths to output the transmission optical path;

[0028] The reference optical path and the transmission optical path are photoelectrically converted and then input into the divider;

[0029] The power fluctuation error is output after the divider divides the photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the transmission optical path. The power fluctuation error is used to reflect the offset of the output wavelength.

[0030] In this scheme, after the reference optical path and the transmission optical path after photoelectric conversion are input into the divider, the reference optical path after photoelectric conversion and the transmission optical path after photoelectric conversion are divided. The error caused by the power fluctuation is divided, that is, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser has shifted. The divider outputs a ratio, and the amount of output wavelength shift can be determined by this ratio, so as to obtain the temperature correction relationship.

[0031] Optionally, changing the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler so that the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature includes:

[0032] The magnitude of the current injected into the thermoelectric cooler is changed until the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature.

[0033] In this scheme, since the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler is affected by the magnitude of the current injected into the thermoelectric cooler, the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler can be changed by changing the magnitude of the current injected into the thermoelectric cooler.

[0034] To achieve the above objectives, this application also provides an output wavelength control system for a semiconductor laser, the system specifically comprising:

[0035] The system includes a semiconductor laser, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a control circuit, and a processor; the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, and the processor are respectively connected to the control circuit.

[0036] The first temperature sensor is used to reflect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser during operation;

[0037] The second temperature sensor is used to detect the ambient temperature when the semiconductor laser is operating;

[0038] The processor is configured to acquire the real-time ambient temperature detected by the second temperature sensor through the control circuit, change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, and acquire the real-time operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor through the control circuit to determine whether to stop changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser in order to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to be stable.

[0039] In this solution, a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor are added via external circuitry. The processor acquires the real-time ambient temperature and the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser. When the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser changes, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser can be controlled by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser without altering its internal structure.

[0040] Optionally, the system further includes:

[0041] It also includes a semiconductor cooling chip; the semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip connected to the semiconductor cooling chip, the light-emitting chip includes an active region that generates laser light when an injection current is injected, the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is the actual temperature of the active region, and the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is the wavelength of the laser light;

[0042] The first temperature sensor is used to detect the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip to reflect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser;

[0043] The processor is also configured to change the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, so as to change the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through thermal conduction between the thermoelectric cooler and the light-emitting chip.

[0044] In this scheme, the operating temperature of the laser is changed by a semiconductor cooling chip, thereby controlling the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser.

[0045] Optionally, the system further includes a control circuit board; the first temperature sensor is fixed on the thermoelectric cooler and is used to detect the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler to detect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser; the first temperature sensor, the light-emitting chip, and the thermoelectric cooler are packaged inside the semiconductor laser; the semiconductor laser is fixed on the control circuit board; a second temperature sensor is also fixed on the control circuit board; the processor is used to obtain the real-time temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor through the control circuit on the control circuit board.

[0046] In this solution, by adding an external circuit, a second temperature sensor is placed in the external circuit to obtain the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser. In this way, the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser can be obtained quickly through the second temperature sensor.

[0047] Optionally, the system further includes a wavelength shift detection device; the wavelength shift detection device takes the output of the semiconductor laser as input, and the output of the wavelength shift detection device is used to reflect whether the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser has shifted; changes in the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip will affect the output of the wavelength shift detection device;

[0048] The wavelength shift detection device is used to test and obtain the temperature correction relationship for maintaining the stability of the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser; the temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip;

[0049] The processor is also configured to query the temperature correction relationship, obtain a target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature, change the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler, and stop changing the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler when the real-time operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor is the target operating temperature, so as to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to be stable.

[0050] This solution provides a method for obtaining the temperature correction relationship based on a wavelength offset detection device.

[0051] Optionally, the wavelength shift detection device includes a splitter, an optical path processor, and a divider;

[0052] The splitter is used to divide the laser light input to the wavelength offset detection device into two optical paths; one of the two optical paths is a reference optical path.

[0053] The optical path processor is used to process the other of the two optical paths and output a transmission optical path.

[0054] The divider is used to divide the reference optical path and the transmitted optical path after photoelectric conversion and output the power fluctuation error. The power fluctuation error is used to reflect the offset of the output wavelength.

[0055] In this scheme, after the reference optical path and the transmission optical path after photoelectric conversion are input into the divider, the reference optical path after photoelectric conversion and the transmission optical path after photoelectric conversion are divided. The error caused by the power fluctuation is divided, which indicates that the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser has shifted. The divider outputs a ratio, and the amount of output wavelength shift can be determined by this ratio, thereby obtaining the temperature correction relationship.

[0056] According to another aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, characterized in that the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that can be executed by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of the output wavelength control method of the semiconductor laser.

[0057] According to another aspect of this application, an electronic device is also provided, the electronic device including a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the output wavelength control method of the semiconductor laser.

[0058] The semiconductor laser output wavelength control method and system provided in this application can control the output wavelength value of the semiconductor laser by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser without changing the internal structure of the semiconductor laser when the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser changes. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an optional hardware architecture for the output wavelength control system of a semiconductor laser provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0061] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an exemplary wavelength shift detection device provided for embodiments of this disclosure;

[0062] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an optional specific process for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0063] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an optional hardware architecture for an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0064] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0065] Definitions:

[0066] A Fabry-Perot interferometer is an interferometer primarily composed of two flat glass or quartz plates. The inward-facing surfaces of both plates are coated with a highly reflective, partially transmissive film, and they are parallel to each other; a parallel planar air layer is formed between the two plates. Light is repeatedly reflected between these two coated surfaces and the air layer, forming multiple equally inclined interference rings.

[0067] Fabry-Perot etalon: also known as FP etalon, is a type of Fabry-Perot interferometer with fixed plate spacing.

[0068] The output wavelength control method and system of the semiconductor laser provided in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an optional hardware architecture for the output wavelength control system of the semiconductor laser of this application.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, the output wavelength control system of the semiconductor laser includes: a semiconductor laser, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a control circuit, and a processor. The first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, and the processor are respectively connected to the control circuit. Specifically:

[0071] The first temperature sensor is used to reflect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser.

[0072] The second temperature sensor is used to detect the ambient temperature when the semiconductor laser is operating.

[0073] The processor is used to acquire the real-time ambient temperature detected by the second temperature sensor through the control circuit. When the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, it changes the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser. It also acquires the real-time operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor through the control circuit and determines whether to stop changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser in order to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to be stable.

[0074] This application adds a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor through external circuitry, and obtains the real-time ambient temperature and actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through a processor. When the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser changes, the output wavelength value of the semiconductor laser can be controlled by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser without changing the internal structure of the semiconductor laser.

[0075] In this embodiment, the output wavelength control system of the semiconductor laser may further include a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). The semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip (i.e., a light-emitting chip connected to the thermoelectric cooler) Figure 1 The semiconductor laser chip (as described in the text) includes an active region that generates laser light when an injection current is applied. The operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is the actual temperature of the active region, and the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is the wavelength of the laser light. Figure 1 It can be seen that the first temperature sensor and the light-emitting chip have a certain volume, which means that the first temperature sensor and the light-emitting chip cannot be fixed close together and there is a certain spatial distance. This spatial distance causes the temperature value obtained by the first temperature sensor to be different from the temperature value at the active area of ​​the light-emitting chip when the ambient temperature difference is large.

[0076] In this embodiment, the first temperature sensor is used to detect the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler to reflect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser. The thermoelectric cooler may be encapsulated inside the semiconductor laser. In other embodiments, the thermoelectric cooler may also be externally connected to the light-emitting chip of the semiconductor laser via thermal conduction; this application is not limited to this. This application embodiment only uses the method of encapsulating the thermoelectric cooler inside the semiconductor laser as an example for illustrative purposes.

[0077] The processor is also used to change the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, thereby changing the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through thermal conduction between the thermoelectric cooler and the light-emitting chip.

[0078] This application embodiment uses a semiconductor cooling chip to change the operating temperature of the laser, thereby achieving control over the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser.

[0079] Continue reading Figure 1In an exemplary embodiment, the output wavelength control system of the semiconductor laser further includes a control circuit board. A first temperature sensor is fixed to a thermoelectric cooler and is used to detect the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler to detect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser. The first temperature sensor, the light-emitting chip, and the thermoelectric cooler are encapsulated inside the semiconductor laser. Since the operating ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser has a significant impact on its output performance, affecting its power and wavelength stability, the light-emitting chip is encapsulated inside an alloy housing (not shown) to ensure stable laser operation. The housing is filled with inert gas to isolate it from the external ambient temperature and prevent temperature changes from affecting the stability of the semiconductor laser wavelength. The housing is a good thermal conductor. The thermoelectric cooler has both cooling and heating functions. Since the light-emitting chip is fixedly connected to the thermoelectric cooler, the light-emitting chip dissipates heat by conducting heat to the thermoelectric cooler. Simultaneously, the other side of the thermoelectric cooler is fixed to a good thermal conductor in the housing, allowing the heat generated by the thermoelectric cooler to be dissipated through the housing.

[0080] In practical applications, the output frequency of semiconductor lasers is significantly affected by temperature. The output wavelength of a semiconductor laser exhibits a good linear relationship with its temperature profile, allowing for precise wavelength control through temperature variations. After the light-emitting chip conducts heat to the thermoelectric cooler for dissipation, a beam of light with a wavelength corresponding to the cooled temperature can be emitted.

[0081] In this embodiment, the semiconductor laser is fixed to the control circuit board. A second temperature sensor is also fixed to the control circuit board. The processor is used to acquire the real-time temperature detected by the first and second temperature sensors through the control circuit on the control circuit board.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the output wavelength control system of the semiconductor laser further includes a wavelength shift detection device. The wavelength shift detection device takes the output of the semiconductor laser as input, and its output reflects whether the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser has shifted. Changes in the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler both affect the output of the wavelength shift detection device.

[0083] Specifically, the wavelength shift detection device is used to test the temperature correction relationship that maintains the stability of the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser. The temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip.

[0084] Specifically, the processor is also used to query the temperature correction relationship, obtain the target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature, change the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler, and stop changing the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler when the real-time operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor is the target operating temperature, so as to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to be stable.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 2 The diagram shown illustrates an exemplary wavelength shift detection device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The wavelength shift detection device may include a splitter, an optical path processor, and a divider. The optical path processor includes an FP etalon and a photoelectric converter (not shown). The input of the splitter is connected to the beam emitter of a semiconductor laser. One output of the splitter is connected to the input of the FP etalon, and the other output is connected to one input of the divider. The output of the FP etalon is connected to the other input of the divider. The wavelength shift is determined based on the output ratio of the divider. In this embodiment, Figure 2 The following explanation uses a 1-to-2 splitter as an example.

[0086] The splitter is used to divide the laser light from the input wavelength offset detection device into two optical paths, one of which is a reference optical path.

[0087] The FP etalon is used to process one of the two optical paths and output the transmitted optical path.

[0088] The divider is used to divide the reference optical path and the transmitted optical path after photoelectric conversion to output power fluctuation error. The power fluctuation error is used to reflect the offset of the output wavelength.

[0089] In practical applications, after the photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the transmission optical path are input into the divider, the photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the photoelectric conversion of the transmission optical path are divided. The power fluctuation error caused by the power fluctuation indicates that the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser has shifted, and the divider outputs a ratio I. The wavelength shift can be determined by the power fluctuation error.

[0090] It should be noted that, Figure 2 This is merely a schematic block diagram of the wavelength shift detection structure. In practical applications, ... Figure 2 Based on this, the wavelength shift detection structure can also include two photoelectric converters (not shown in the figure). The input of each photoelectric converter is connected to the output of the FP standard and the output of the 1-to-2 splitter, respectively. The output of each photoelectric converter is connected to the input of the divider, respectively, so as to realize photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the transmission optical path.

[0091] It should be noted that due to the limitations of semiconductor laser packaging, there is a certain distance between the active region of the semiconductor laser and the location of the first temperature sensor. When the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature reported by the first temperature sensor is large, the temperature of the active region will deviate from the temperature reported by the first temperature sensor due to the temperature gradient. When the operating temperature of the active region of the semiconductor laser changes, the wavelength emitted by the active region changes, causing a shift in the actual emission wavelength of the laser.

[0092] It should be noted that in semiconductors, there is a dependency between temperature and bandgap. By controlling the temperature of the active region, the bandgap can be changed, thereby tuning the wavelength of the semiconductor laser. Therefore, if the temperature of the active region changes, the wavelength produced by the semiconductor laser will change. When the temperature of the active region reaches the temperature corresponding to the reference wavelength value, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is controlled at the reference wavelength value, thus maintaining the stability of the semiconductor laser's output wavelength.

[0093] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of an optional output wavelength control method for a semiconductor laser according to this application. It is understood that the flowchart in this embodiment is not intended to limit the order of execution steps, and the output wavelength control method for the semiconductor laser is applied in a processor (not shown) of the output wavelength control system of the semiconductor laser. This method will combine... Figure 1 An illustrative example is provided.

[0094] Combination Figure 1 The output wavelength control system for a semiconductor laser includes: a semiconductor laser. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser includes the following steps:

[0095] Step S100: Obtain the real-time ambient temperature when the semiconductor laser is working.

[0096] Step S200: When the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to stabilize.

[0097] In practical applications, the output frequency of semiconductor lasers is significantly affected by temperature. Generally, the wavelength and temperature curve of a semiconductor laser exhibit good linearity, allowing for precise wavelength control through temperature variations. Since ambient temperature changes relatively slowly, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser can be kept constant by adjusting its real-time operating temperature.

[0098] In semiconductors, there is a dependency between temperature and bandgap. By controlling the temperature of the active region of the semiconductor, the bandgap can be changed, thereby tuning the wavelength of the semiconductor laser. Therefore, if the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser changes, the temperature of the active region will also change, and the wavelength produced by the semiconductor laser will change as well. In this case, by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser can be controlled at a stable value, thus achieving wavelength stabilization.

[0099] This application embodiment obtains the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser during operation and compares it with the calibrated operating temperature. When the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser deviates from the calibrated operating temperature, the output wavelength value of the semiconductor laser can be controlled by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser without changing the internal structure of the semiconductor laser.

[0100] In an exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip (i.e., Figure 1 The semiconductor laser chip includes an active region that generates laser light upon injection of current. The real-time operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is the actual temperature of the active region, and the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is the wavelength of the laser light. The light-emitting chip is connected to a thermoelectric cooler. In this embodiment, when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler is changed, thereby altering the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through thermal conduction between the thermoelectric cooler and the light-emitting chip.

[0101] It should be noted that the thermoelectric cooler in this application may be encapsulated inside the semiconductor laser. In other embodiments, the thermoelectric cooler may also be externally connected to the light-emitting chip of the semiconductor laser via thermal conduction, and this application is not limited thereto. The embodiments in this application are only illustrated by the example of the thermoelectric cooler being encapsulated inside the semiconductor laser.

[0102] In a specific embodiment, the semiconductor laser also includes a housing, with the light-emitting chip and a thermoelectric cooler encapsulated within it. Since the operating temperature of a semiconductor laser significantly affects its output performance, influencing its power and wavelength stability, the light-emitting chip is encapsulated within an alloy housing (not shown) filled with inert gas to ensure stable operation. Filling the housing with inert gas isolates it from external ambient temperatures, preventing temperature fluctuations from affecting the wavelength stability of the semiconductor laser. The housing is a good thermal conductor. The thermoelectric cooler functions as both a cooling and heating element. In this embodiment, the light-emitting chip is fixed to the thermoelectric cooler; that is, the light-emitting chip, the thermoelectric cooler, and the first temperature sensor are all encapsulated within the housing. The light-emitting chip dissipates heat through conduction. Simultaneously, the other side of the thermoelectric cooler is fixed to the good thermal conductor of the housing, allowing the heat generated by the thermoelectric cooler to be dissipated through the housing. Therefore, the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser can be changed by altering the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler.

[0103] In an exemplary embodiment, the method further includes a first temperature sensor for detecting the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler. In this embodiment, the first temperature sensor is fixed to the thermoelectric cooler to detect the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler. The step S100 of obtaining the real-time ambient temperature during semiconductor laser operation may include: obtaining the real-time ambient temperature during semiconductor laser operation detected by a second temperature sensor.

[0104] from Figure 1 As can be seen, the first temperature sensor and the light-emitting chip have a certain volume, which prevents them from being fixed tightly together, resulting in a certain spatial distance. This spatial distance causes a difference between the operating temperature value obtained by the first temperature sensor and the temperature value at the active area of ​​the light-emitting chip when the ambient temperature varies significantly. In practical applications, since the light-emitting chip, the thermoelectric cooler, and the first temperature sensor are already encapsulated in a housing, it is impossible to modify the internal structure of the laser when controlling the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser. Therefore, this embodiment of the application achieves control of the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser by adding external circuitry.

[0105] This application embodiment adds an external circuit, specifically a second temperature sensor, to obtain the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser. This second temperature sensor enables rapid acquisition of the semiconductor laser's real-time ambient temperature.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment, changing the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler may specifically include the following steps:

[0107] The temperature correction relationship required to maintain the stable output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is queried to obtain the target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature. The temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooler. The actual operating temperature of the semiconductor cooler is changed so that the real-time operating temperature of the semiconductor cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature.

[0108] In practical applications, when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated temperature of the semiconductor laser, a target operating temperature matching the real-time ambient temperature can be quickly obtained by consulting a pre-obtained temperature correction relationship. The thermoelectric cooler can then be adjusted to the target operating temperature, thereby changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser and stabilizing its output wavelength. By using the temperature correction relationship, even under conditions of large ambient temperature variations, the target operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler corresponding to a stable wavelength can be quickly determined by consulting the relationship.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature correction relationship is obtained through the following steps:

[0110] Step A: Input wavelength offset detection device for the laser output from the semiconductor laser;

[0111] Step B: Change the ambient temperature when the semiconductor laser is working and adjust the working temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip so that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value; wherein, when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is stable.

[0112] Step C: Obtain the operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is at a preset value under different ambient temperatures, and obtain the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is at a preset value, so as to obtain the temperature correction relationship.

[0113] In practical applications, to retrieve the temperature value of the thermoelectric cooler under varying ambient temperatures, output wavelength calibration is required at multiple ambient temperatures. When the semiconductor laser is placed in different temperature environments, the processor acquires the ambient temperature value measured by the second temperature sensor and simultaneously detects whether the output of the wavelength shift detection device for each ambient temperature value is a preset value. When the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, the corresponding operating temperature value of the first temperature sensor is acquired. Then, for each ambient temperature value and the operating temperature value of the first temperature sensor at each ambient temperature value, a correspondence between multiple ambient temperatures and the operating temperature value of the first temperature sensor is established, resulting in a temperature correction relationship. Since the operating temperature value detected by the first temperature sensor is the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler, the obtained temperature correction relationship represents the correspondence between the ambient temperature value and the operating temperature value of the thermoelectric cooler under the condition that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, the wavelength shift detection device performs the following operations on the input laser:

[0115] The laser beam is split into two optical paths by a splitter; one of the two optical paths is the reference optical path.

[0116] The optical path processor processes the other of the two optical paths to output the transmission optical path;

[0117] The reference optical path and the transmitted optical path are photoelectrically converted and then input into the divider;

[0118] The power fluctuation error is output by dividing the reference optical path and the transmitted optical path after photoelectric conversion by a divider. The power fluctuation error is used to reflect the offset of the output wavelength.

[0119] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical path processor may include an FP etalon. The FP etalon is used to process the other of the two optical paths to output the projected optical path.

[0120] like Figure 2 As shown, the wavelength shift detection device includes a 1-to-2 splitter, a FP etalon, and a divider. The input of the 1-to-2 splitter is connected to the beam emitter of the semiconductor laser. One output of the 1-to-2 splitter is connected to the input of the FP etalon, and the other output is connected to one input of the divider. The output of the FP etalon is connected to the other input of the divider. The output wavelength shift is determined based on the output ratio of the divider.

[0121] In practical applications, after the photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the photoelectric conversion of the transmission optical path are input into the divider, the photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the photoelectric conversion of the transmission optical path are divided. The error caused by the power fluctuation is divided, that is, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is shifted, and the divider outputs a ratio I. The amount of output wavelength shift can be determined by the output ratio I.

[0122] It should be noted that, Figure 2 This is merely a schematic block diagram of the wavelength shift detection device. In practical applications, ... Figure 2 Based on this, the wavelength shift detection device may also include two photoelectric converters (not shown in the figure). The input terminal of each photoelectric converter is connected to the output terminal of the FP standard and the output terminal of the 1-to-2 splitter, respectively. The output terminal of each photoelectric converter is connected to the input terminal of the divider, respectively, so as to realize photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the transmission optical path.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, changing the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler so that the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature includes:

[0124] The current injected into the thermoelectric cooler is varied until the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature.

[0125] By changing the magnitude of the current injected into the thermoelectric cooler, the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler can be changed, thereby causing a change in the real-time operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor, until the real-time operating temperature is adjusted to the target operating temperature and the magnitude of the current injected into the thermoelectric cooler is stopped.

[0126] Since the light-emitting chip is fixed on a thermoelectric cooler, it dissipates heat by conducting heat to the cooler. In practical applications, the output frequency of a semiconductor laser is significantly affected by temperature, and the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser has a good linear relationship with the temperature curve, allowing for precise control of the output wavelength by changing the temperature. After the light-emitting chip conducts heat to the thermoelectric cooler for dissipation, it can emit a light beam with a wavelength corresponding to the cooled temperature.

[0127] The semiconductor laser output wavelength control method provided in this application can, without changing the internal structure of the semiconductor laser, determine the target temperature value of the semiconductor cooler by using a calibration method when the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser changes. It can also change the operating temperature value of the semiconductor cooler by changing the current value injected into the semiconductor cooler and detect it through a first temperature sensor. This changes the temperature value of the active region of the semiconductor chip, thereby achieving temperature compensation of the active region of the semiconductor chip, controlling the operating temperature of the active region, and ultimately controlling the output wavelength value of the semiconductor laser.

[0128] This embodiment also provides an electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, rack server, blade server, tower server, or cabinet server (including a standalone server or a server cluster composed of multiple servers), etc., capable of executing programs. Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device 30 in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a memory 301 and a processor 302 that can be interconnected via a system bus. It should be noted that... Figure 4 Only an electronic device 30 with components 301-302 is shown; however, it should be understood that it is not required to implement all of the components shown, and more or fewer components may be implemented instead.

[0129] In this embodiment, the memory 301 (i.e., computer-readable storage medium) includes flash memory, hard disk, multimedia card, card-type memory (e.g., SD or DX memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 301 may be an internal storage unit of the electronic device 30, such as the hard disk or memory of the electronic device 30. In other embodiments, the memory 301 may also be an external storage device of the electronic device 30, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the electronic device 30. Of course, the memory 301 may also include both the internal storage unit and the external storage device of the electronic device 30. In this embodiment, the memory 301 is typically used to store the operating system and various application software installed on the electronic device 30, such as the program code of the file data content signature verification system in the above embodiment. In addition, the memory 301 can also be used to temporarily store various types of data that have been output or will be output.

[0130] In some embodiments, processor 302 may be a central processing unit (CPU), controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, or other data processing chip. This processor 302 is typically used to control the overall operation of electronic device 30.

[0131] Specifically, in this embodiment, the processor 302 is used to execute a program for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser stored in the processor 302. When the program for controlling the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is executed, it performs the following steps:

[0132] Obtain the real-time ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser;

[0133] When the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is changed to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to stabilize.

[0134] For specific implementation details of the above methods and steps, please refer to the above embodiments. This embodiment will not repeat them here.

[0135] This embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as flash memory, hard disk, multimedia card, card-type memory (e.g., SD or DX memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, disk, optical disk, server, app store, etc., which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the following method steps:

[0136] Obtain the real-time ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser;

[0137] When the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is changed to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to stabilize.

[0138] For specific implementation details of the above methods and steps, please refer to the above embodiments. This embodiment will not repeat them here.

[0139] The electronic device and computer-readable storage medium provided in this embodiment, through temperature calibration, compare the real-time ambient temperature with the calibrated operating temperature after obtaining the real-time ambient temperature when the semiconductor laser is working. When the real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser deviates from the calibrated operating temperature, the ambient temperature change can be compensated by changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser without changing the internal structure of the semiconductor laser, thereby achieving control over the output wavelength value of the semiconductor laser and stabilizing the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser.

[0140] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0141] The sequence numbers of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0142] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method.

[0143] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the real-time ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser; When the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is changed in order to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to stabilize. The semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip and a semiconductor cooling chip connected to the light-emitting chip; The method of changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser includes: The temperature correction relationship required to maintain the stable output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is queried to obtain a target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature; the temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip. Change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip; The temperature correction relationship is obtained through the following steps: A device for detecting the output laser wavelength offset of the semiconductor laser; The ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser is changed, and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is adjusted so that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value; wherein, when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is stable. By obtaining the real-time operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip reaching the target operating temperature under different ambient temperatures, such that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is obtained when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, so as to obtain the temperature correction relationship.

2. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip, the light-emitting chip includes an active region, the active region is used to generate laser light when an injection current is injected, the real-time operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is the actual temperature of the active region, and the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is the wavelength of the laser light. The light-emitting chip is connected to a semiconductor cooling chip; the method further includes: The actual operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is changed so as to change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through thermal conduction between the semiconductor cooling chip and the light-emitting chip.

3. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the real-time ambient temperature during semiconductor laser operation includes: The real-time ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser during operation is obtained from the second temperature sensor.

4. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a first temperature sensor for detecting the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler; the change of the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler includes: The temperature correction relationship required to maintain the stable output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is queried to obtain a target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature; the temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip. The actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler is changed so that the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature.

5. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The temperature correction relationship is obtained through the following steps: A device for detecting the wavelength offset of the laser output from the semiconductor laser; The ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser is changed, and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is adjusted so that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value; wherein, when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is stable. The operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor is obtained when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value under different ambient temperatures. The corresponding relationship between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is obtained when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, so as to obtain the temperature correction relationship.

6. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The wavelength shift detection device performs the following operations on the input laser: The laser beam is split into two optical paths by a splitter; one of the two optical paths is a reference optical path. The optical path processor processes the other of the two optical paths to output the transmission optical path; The reference optical path and the transmitted optical path are photoelectrically converted and then input into the divider; The power fluctuation error is output after the divider divides the photoelectric conversion of the reference optical path and the transmission optical path. The power fluctuation error is used to reflect the offset of the output wavelength.

7. The method for controlling the output wavelength of a semiconductor laser as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Changing the actual operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler so that the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature includes: The magnitude of the current injected into the thermoelectric cooler is changed until the real-time operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler detected by the first temperature sensor reaches the target operating temperature.

8. An output wavelength control system for a semiconductor laser, characterized in that, include: Semiconductor laser, first temperature sensor, second temperature sensor, control circuit, and processor; The first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, and the processor are respectively connected to the control circuit; The first temperature sensor is used to reflect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser during operation; The second temperature sensor is used to detect the ambient temperature when the semiconductor laser is operating; The processor is configured to acquire the real-time ambient temperature detected by the second temperature sensor through the control circuit, change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, and acquire the real-time operating temperature detected by the first temperature sensor through the control circuit to determine whether to stop changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser in order to control the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser to be stable. The semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip and a semiconductor cooling chip connected to the light-emitting chip; The method of changing the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor laser includes: The temperature correction relationship required to maintain the stable output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is queried to obtain a target operating temperature that matches the real-time ambient temperature; the temperature correction relationship is the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip. Change the actual operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip; The temperature correction relationship is obtained through the following: A device for detecting the output laser wavelength offset of the semiconductor laser; The ambient temperature during the operation of the semiconductor laser is changed, and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is adjusted so that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value; wherein, when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is a preset value, the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is stable. By obtaining the real-time operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip reaching the target operating temperature under different ambient temperatures, such that the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, the correspondence between the ambient temperature of the semiconductor laser and the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip is obtained when the output of the wavelength shift detection device is the preset value, so as to obtain the temperature correction relationship.

9. The output wavelength control system for a semiconductor laser as described in claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a semiconductor cooling chip; the semiconductor laser includes a light-emitting chip connected to the semiconductor cooling chip, the light-emitting chip includes an active region that generates laser light when an injection current is injected, the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser is the actual temperature of the active region, and the output wavelength of the semiconductor laser is the wavelength of the laser light; The first temperature sensor is used to detect the operating temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip to reflect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser; The processor is also configured to change the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler when the real-time ambient temperature deviates from the calibrated operating temperature of the semiconductor laser, so as to change the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser through thermal conduction between the thermoelectric cooler and the light-emitting chip.

10. The output wavelength control system for the semiconductor laser as described in claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a control circuit board; the first temperature sensor is fixed on the thermoelectric cooler and is used to detect the operating temperature of the thermoelectric cooler to detect the operating temperature of the semiconductor laser; the first temperature sensor, the light-emitting chip, and the thermoelectric cooler are packaged inside the semiconductor laser; the semiconductor laser is fixed on the control circuit board; a second temperature sensor is also fixed on the control circuit board; the processor is used to obtain the real-time temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor through the control circuit on the control circuit board.

11. The output wavelength control system for a semiconductor laser as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The wavelength shift detection device includes a splitter, an optical path processor, and a divider; The splitter is used to divide the laser light input to the wavelength offset detection device into two optical paths; one of the two optical paths is a reference optical path. The optical path processor is used to process the other of the two optical paths and output the transmission optical path. The divider is used to divide the reference optical path and the transmitted optical path after photoelectric conversion and output the power fluctuation error. The power fluctuation error is used to reflect the offset of the output wavelength.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that can be executed by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform the steps of the semiconductor laser output wavelength control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the semiconductor laser output wavelength control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images