光子集成作为未来全光网络发展的必然趋势, 是实现高速光通信的重要解决方案。正如硅基集成电路的发展历程一样, 找到一种类似晶体管的基本集成单元, 并实现光子集成的大多数功能是目前光子集成技术中最迫切的问题。近年来, 由于半导体环形谐振器的功能多样性和可集成性, 使其最有可能成为光子集成的基本单元, 因而成为集成光子学、光通信和光信息处理领域的研究热点。文章在介绍半导体环形激光器工作原理和基本特性的基础上, 总结了InP基环形波导激光器在集成光源及光信息处理方面的应用和最新进展。

Photonic integration, as a future trend for all-optical communication networks, is a key solution for realizing high speed optical communication. As the development of Si-based integrated circuits, the most urgent issue in the field of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) currently is to find a basic building block, and realize the most functions in PICs. Due to the abundant functions and good integration of semiconductor ring resonator, it becomes the most potential candidate for large-scale PICs. In this paper, firstly the fundamental principle and characteristics of semiconductor ring lasers (SRLs) are introduced, and the recent advances and applications of InP-based SRLs are summarized in the fields of integrated light sources and all-optical signal processing.