According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a distributed feedback (DFB)
laser configured to control a
wavelength of emitted light from the DFB
laser, the DFB
laser comprising a
planar substrate, a substantially planar front
facet with an anti-reflective
coating, the front
facet substantially perpendicular to the
planar substrate, a substantially planar rear
facet with a
high reflectivity coating, the rear facet substantially perpendicular to the
planar substrate, a laser section positioned between the rear facet and the front facet, the laser section comprising: a first ensemble of substantially planar
layers configured to produce, with said planar substrate, a first PIN junction, the first ensemble of substantially planar
layers comprising: a first top layer substantially parallel to the planar substrate; an
active layer substantially parallel to the planar substrate and configured to emit light through the front facet, the
active layer arranged between the planar substrate and the first top layer; a
grating layer arranged substantially parallel to the
active layer, the
grating layer arranged between the planar substrate and the first top layer in proximity to the active layer; a Bragg
grating arranged in said grating layer and configured to reflect light towards said front facet; and a phase section positioned between the rear facet and the laser section, the phase section comprising: a second ensemble of substantially planar
layers comprising: a second top layer substantially parallel to the planar substrate, the second top layer substantially coplanar with the first top layer; an
optical layer arranged between the planar substrate and the second top layer, the
optical layer substantially coplanar with the active layer and optically coupled with the active layer; a non-grating layer substantially coplanar with the grating layer; and an element in electrical or
thermal contact with the
optical layer, the element configured, under application of a current or
voltage, to change a
refractive index of the optical layer so as to change the
wavelength of the emitted light.