DIODE LASERS
The Model 6330 Velocity 1620-nm tunable external-cavity diode laser was first commercialized by New Focus (Santa Clara, CA) in January 1998. It is the latest addition to a family of external-cavity diode lasers that find application throughout the scientific and engineering fields. What sets Model 6330 apart is its applicability to telecommunications wavelengths beyond 1600 nm, where the next generation of dense-wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) systems are being developed using new ultrawideband amplifiers. The laser provides fast continuous mode-hop-free tuning, greater than 40-dB side-mode suppression ratio, wavelength dither up to 2 kHz, direct modulation of the laser drive current up to 300 MHz, and full GPIB/RS-232 computer control. It is guaranteed to tune from 1570 to 1630 nm, with greater than 2 mW of output power. Its highly coherent output of less than 300 kH¥over a 50-ms interval allows it to act as a channel source in laboratory experiments and in prototypes for systems development. It can also serve as a precision measurement source for spectral characterization of components.