Abstract: A semiconductor monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) comprises two different situations, either at least one signal channel in the PIC having a modulated source with the channel also extended to include at least one additional element or a plurality of modulated sources comprising N signal channels in the PIC of different transmission wavelengths, where N is equal to or greater than two (2), which may also approximate emission wavelengths along a standardized wavelength grid. In these two different situations, a common active region for such modulated sources and additional channel elements is identified as an extended identical active layer (EIAL), as it extends from a single modulated source to such additional channel elements in the same channel and/or extends to additional modulated sources in separate channels where the number of such channels is N equal to two or greater.

Abstract: A method provides acceptable performance from a semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) that contains a plurality of modulated sources each comprising a laser source and an external modulator where each laser source provides a different emission wavelength and each modulated source forms a separate signal channel, comprising the steps of providing at least some of the signal channels with an extended identical active layer (EIAL) so that the modulated sources each have an identical active region wavelength and detuning the laser emission wavelength in each laser source within the EIAL from the laser active region wavelength.