What is a RW laser?
RW is an acronym for ridge waveguide. The top of the RW laser has an etched ridge which causes a step of the refractive index. This structure forms a waveguide that confines the light laterally. The RW laser is an edge-emitting Fabry-Perot laser. The laser chip has facets cleaved to form flat and parallel mirrors at the front and at the end. The waveguide together with the mirrors builds an optical cavity.
