Aging-induced wavelength shifts in 1.5-μm DFB lasers

We report measured wavelength shifts of over one hundred 1.5-μm DFB lasers aged under three different conditions far a period corresponding to the system´s lifetime (/spl sim/25 years). The results show that the lasers aged at lower temperature (thus higher optical power) have wider spread of wavelength shifts than the lasers aged at higher temperature. No correlation was observed between the wavelength shifts and the aging rates or the aging-induced changes in the threshold currents. The aging-induced wavelength shifts were relatively small (/spl plusmn/1 /spl Aring/) for most lasers. However, about 10% of the lasers exhibit larger wavelength shifts of up to about /spl plusmn/4 /spl Aring/.