A tunable semiconductor laser includes gain medium, wavelength-selective element and a laser mode matching element. The wavelength-selective element comprises a first light absorbing plate operatively coupled to the laser mode matching element and provided with an array of high reflectivity mirrors as well as a second light absorbing plate with an array of narrow band pass filter mirrors operatively coupled to the high reflectivity mirror array of the first plate. The narrow band pass filter mirror array is disposed over a respective array of apertures in the second plate. The wavelength-selective element also comprises a light reflective plate with an array of retroreflectors and a third light absorbing plate with an array of apertures operatively disposed between the aperture array of the second plate and the retroreflector array. Activation of a selected retroreflector results in light of a corresponding wavelength being coupled back to the gain medium through the laser mode matching element and the first, second and third plates.