Methods and apparatus for spectral narrowing and wavelength stabilization of broad-area lasers, such as an apparatus including a broad-area laser source configured to emit light along an emission axis in an emission pattern extending along the emission axis, and a single-mode fiber Bragg grating, such as a single-mode core incorporating a fiber Bragg grating embedded in a core of a dual-clad fiber, the single-mode fiber Bragg grating configured to spectrally selectively reflect back light from a sub-aperture portion of the emitted light to the broad-area laser source. The single mode core having the FBG is off-axis in comparison to the central axis of the double-clad fiber and allows for frequency stabilization of the broad area laser diode output improving its performance as pump laser for a doped fibre amplifier.

An external resonator-type semiconductor laser device 1A includes an external resonator formed of one or a plurality of laser diode light sources and a VBG; an optical fiber which outputs output light La from the laser diode light source toward the VBG, and into which return light Lb from the VBG is input; and a displacement unit that displaces a disposition position of the VBG with respect to an input and output end surface of the optical fiber.

Waveguide Bragg gratings, optical reflectors and lasers including optical reflectors are disclosed. The optical reflectors include a waveguide, perturbations proximate to the waveguide to create a Bragg grating in the waveguide, and a DC index control structure positioned to vary the DC index along at least a portion of the Bragg grating. In laser embodiments, the waveguide may be coupled to the second end of a semiconductor gain element to form an external cavity having an optical length and a cavity phase. The gain element and optical reflector may be monolithically integrated on a substrate or separate structures.

According to another aspect of the present disclosed technology, a diode laser assembly, includes an optical fiber having a cladding and a large mode area (LMA) core, wherein the LMA core comprises a fiber Bragg grating disposed within the LMA core, a plurality of diode lasers configured to emit light, optics configured to receive the light and to couple the light into the LMA core, and one or more features in the optical fiber to couple higher order modes of the light leaving substantially single mode light to propagate in the LMA core wherein a portion of the single mode light propagating in the LMA core is reflected by the fiber Bragg grating and is coupled back through the optics into the plurality of diode lasers to lock the wavelength of light emitted from each diode laser of the plurality.

An optical combiner includes: first optical input portions each including a first optical input waveguide; and an optical output portion to which the first optical input portions are connected and that includes a first core that allows light to propagate therethrough, and a cladding layer disposed outside of the first core and that has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the first core. The first optical input portions are connected to a connection end face of the optical output portion such that the first optical input waveguide of at least one of the first optical input portions is optically coupled to the first core of the optical output portion.

A fiber amplifier to amplify seed light has a laser diode, an optical fiber segment, and a doped fiber. The laser diode generates pump light at a pump wavelength from an end facet, and optical fiber segment in optical communication with the pump light has a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) configured to lock the pump light from the end facets to the pump wavelength. The pump light from the laser diode interact with an active dopant of the doped fiber and can thereby amplifies the seed light. To provide less coherent light and improve stability of the laser diode over operation conditions, variations in refractive index in the FBG have a chirped period changing linearly along a length of the FBG. The chirped period shifts the reflectivity asymmetrically from a central wavelength region of the FBG, such as blue-shifting the reflectivity for a short wavelength.

A laser module includes a gain chip, temperature sensors, a case, and a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). The gain chip emits a laser beam. One of the temperature sensors measures a first temperature of the gain chip and is encompassed by the gain chip. The other temperature sensor is adhered to the case and measures a second temperature. The TEC tunes the laser beam emitted by the gain chip to a desired wavelength by varying the first temperature of the gain chip through a set of third temperatures for various values of the second temperature. The set of third temperatures is selected from various values of the first temperature such that the laser beam emitted at the set of third temperatures is mode-hop free.