Takamasa SUZUKI^*, Takanori ENDO, Tatsuo IWANA, and Osami SASAKI

Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2, Niigata 950-2181, Japan

(Received September 15, 2006; Accepted October 24, 2006)

In this work we describe a simple external-cavity laser diode equipped with a feedback control system, in which a high-resolution position-sensitive detector detects the slight misalignment of the light within the cavity. Our system not only provides a stable wavelength that can be tuned within a maximum scanning range of 1.87 nm, but also allows for faster scanning, through precise control of the reflection angle within the cavity. The simultaneous controls on the rotation-angle of the external mirror and the injection current enabled us to realize continuous wavelength-tuning.

Key words: external cavity, Littman configuration, laser diode, wavelength scanning, wavelength stabilization, feedback control

^*E-mail address: takamasa@eng.niigata-u.ac.jp