Transfer matrix analysis of the amplified spontaneous emission ofDFB semiconductor laser amplifiers

Analytical expressions are derived for the amplified spontaneous emission of a DFB (distributed-feedback) semiconductor laser amplifier with reflective cavity ends. The analysis is extended to a multisection DFB structure including a phase-shifted DFB semiconductor laser amplifier. It is shown that the spontaneous emission power per unit frequency bandwidth emitted from one facet is proportional to the transmission gain and to a quantity which at threshold becomes the inverse of the differential quantum efficiency of the other facet. The analysis is applied to two practical cases: (1) calculation of emission spectra of a DFB semiconductor laser biased below the threshold, and (2) assessment of the signal-to-noise ratio performance of DFB semiconductor laser amplifiers     

Spontaneous emission model of surface-emitting DFB semiconductorlasers

A general spontaneous emission model is developed for surface-emitting (SE) distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers. The frequency distribution of spontaneous emission noise below lasing threshold and the spontaneous emission rate in lasing operation are formulated by using a transfer matrix method combined with the Green's function method. The effective linewidth enhancement factor is obtained from this model in terms of the elements of the transfer matrix. By way of example, the author applies the formulation to a standard SE DFB laser, and a SE λ/4-shifted DFB laser with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror. In particular, the author analyzes the below-threshold spectrum, the threshold current density, the differential quantum efficiency, and the spectral linewidth of these lasers     

EAM-DFB集成光源典型参数特性的电路级分析

针对电吸收型调制器和分布反馈激光器集成光源(EAM-DFB)的光电混合特征,建立了包含自发辐射、俄歇复合、寄生效应以及隔离电阻的等效电路模型。分析了在不同驱动电流和自发辐射因子下,该模块的输出、调制及噪声特性,并与直接调制DFB作了对比。结果表明,EAM-DFB可生成超短脉冲(小于25 ps);随着驱动电流的增加,输出功率增大、脉冲展宽,噪声增强且峰值点向高频移动;减小自发辐射因子和增加驱动电流均使其调制带宽增加;与DFB相比,EAM-DFB增加了少量噪声,但具有更陡峭的功率-电流特性和更大的调制带宽。     

Analysis of the spontaneous emission of a tunablephase-shift-controlled DFB laser filter

Using a transfer matrix method, the results of analysis of the spontaneous emission spectrum of a three-section phase-controlled distributed feedback (DFB) laser for implementing a continuously tunable optical filter are presented. The influence of various parameters-net field gain, coupling coefficient, phase shift and reflection coefficients-on the spectrum behavior are studied theoretically. The main-to subtransmission peak magnitude ratio can be chosen while varying the frequency, which demonstrates the tunability of the three-section phase-controlled DFB laser filter. Analysis shows that a three-section DFB laser (a passive phase shift control region between two DFB structures) presents a single-mode spontaneous emission spectrum operating over a wide continuous tuning range of less than 1 nm     

Effective linewidth enhancement factor and spontaneous emissionrate of DFB lasers with gain coupling

A field rate equation governing the noise and dynamic properties of a DFB (distributed feedback) laser with gain coupling is presented. Analytic expressions for the effective linewidth enhancement factor and spontaneous emission rate are derived. It is shown numerically that the linewidth contribution from spontaneous emission can be substantially reduced in DFB lasers with gain coupling     

Intensity noise characteristics of erbium-doped distributed-feedback fiber lasers

We present an experimental and theoretical investigation into the low-frequency intensity noise characteristics of erbium-doped distributed feedback (DFB) fiber lasers. The intensity noise characteristics of six nonidentical erbium-doped DFB fiber lasers are presented along with the characteristics of the grating and doped fibers. An analytical model has been used to predict the intensity noise generated in a linear fiber laser and explain the observed noise characteristics. Overall we find good agreement between our analytical model and observations. In particular, we find the intensity noise at frequencies close to the relaxation oscillation frequency significantly elevated due to excess noise from either spontaneous emission or cavity loss modulation. These results can be used to optimize the fiber laser design for sensor applications.     

Tunable dual-mode operation in a chirped gratingdistributed-feedback laser

We report on the tunable dual-mode operation of a chirped grating distributed-feedback (DFB) laser device with two integrated modulators which act as tuning sections. A transfer-matrix model is used to simulate the amplified spontaneous emission spectrum for a chirped grating DFB laser. Several types of dual-mode operation are observed for wavelength spacings of 0.5 nm and 1.4 nm corresponding to frequency detunings of 63 GHz and 175 GHz     

Global excess spontaneous emission factor of semiconductor laserswith axially varying characteristics

An expression of the excess spontaneous emission factor of semiconductor lasers having axially varying characteristics has been derived, using a classical treatment for the contribution of spontaneous emission to the laser's noise figure. Although the analysis is focused on semiconductor laser structures, including DFB lasers, the expression obtained can be applied with minor changes to other standing-wave laser geometries. This global excess spontaneous emission factor, accounting for transverse as well as longitudinal effects, is relevant even for laser structures wherein the longitudinal and lateral field distributions are mutually coupled. In this situation, this factor is not equivalent to the product of Petermann's excess noise factor and a longitudinal correction factor accounting for outcoupling losses     

Amplified spontaneous emission model for quantum-well distributedfeedback lasers

An amplified spontaneous emission model for quantum-well (QW) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers is presented, which takes into account local spontaneous emission, stimulated emission, and real refractive index change which are calculated from the Fermi-Dirac occupancy functions in a self-consistent manner. The local-normal-mode transfer-matrix method is used, which allows a coupling of the local DFB effect with the local QW spontaneous emission and gain. As an example, an analysis is given of a partly gain-coupled DFB laser with periodically etched QWs, which has a large discontinuity of spontaneous emission and gain in high- and low-corrugation regions. It is shown that the side-mode suppression improves with the increase of the number of etched QW's, due to the carrier-density-dependent gain-coupling     

Linewidth enhancement factor of 1.3 mu m InGaAsP/InP strained-layer multiple-quantum-well DFB lasers

The linewidth enhancement factor alpha in a 1.3 mu m InGaAsP/InP strained-layer multiple-quantum-well (SL-MQW) distributed feedback (DFB) laser has been evaluated from the relation between the frequency and intensity modulation indexes, and the spontaneous emission spectra below threshold current. It is demonstrated that the measured alpha -parameter of a 1.3 mu m SL-MQW DFB laser is about two, and is much smaller than that in a conventional bulk DFB laser. From the resonance frequency dependence on the output power, it is concluded that this reduction of the alpha -parameter originates in the increased differential gain. The reduction of wavelength chirping, as a result the low alpha -parameter, was experimentally confirmed for the SL-MQW DFB laser.<>     

Dynamic and noise properties of tunable multielectrodesemiconductor lasers including spatial hole burning and nonlinear gain

A general formalism based on the Green's function method is given for multielectrode semiconductor lasers. The effects of both spatial hole burning and nonlinear gain are included in this formalism. An effective nonlinear gain is introduced by taking into account the influence of the laser structure and the associated distribution of the mode intensity along the cavity length and the frequency and intensity modulation properties of multielectrode semiconductor lasers are studied. A general linewidth expression which includes contributions from spontaneous emission and carrier shot noise is given. It is found that the effective α-factor affecting the linewidth is in general different from its counterpart affecting modulation and injection locking properties due to spatial hole burning and nonlinear gain. The linewidth due to various contributions is calculated for both uniform intensity distributed lasers and phase-shifted distributed feedback (DFB) lasers     

Nondegenerate four-wave mixing efficiencies in DFB laser wavelengthconverters

The salient parameters affecting nondegenerate four-wave-mixing (FWM) conversion efficiency in distributed-feedback (DFB) laser wavelength converters are examined analytically. Both the maximum attainable, and typical gain saturated, FWM efficiencies are derived. Typical DFB lasers cannot achieve maximum conversion efficiency due to gain saturation, while laser-amplifier combinations potentially can. The ratio of efficiency to spontaneous emission noise is also addressed, where it is found that this ratio increases quadratically with net unsaturated gain     

A new method for the calculation of the emission spectrum of DFBand DBR lasers

A method based on transmission matrices that allows the emission spectra of arbitrarily complicated semiconductor laser structures to be computed below and above threshold has been developed. These can include active and passive periodic or uniform sections. As examples, the authors compute the emission spectra of a normal distributed feedback (DFB) laser, a DFB laser with a λ/4 phase shifter, and a surface-emitting distributed Bragg reflector (DFB) laser. To do that, Petermann's method for calculating the spontaneous emission coupling coefficient has been extended to the case of a periodic waveguide. It is shown how the spontaneous emission, when treated correctly, can be used to measure the coupling coefficient of the grating in a DFB laser with a λ/4 phase shifter     

Fundamental Thermal Noise in Distributed Feedback Fiber Lasers

A detailed analysis of fundamental thermal frequency noise in distributed feedback fiber lasers (DFB FL) is presented. An expression relating the laser frequency noise spectrum to the spectrum of thermal (temperature) fluctuations in the fiber, accounting for the nontrivial DFB FL mode shape, is derived. A new expression for the thermal fluctuation spectrum of single-mode optical fiber is derived which predicts high-frequency thermal noise 3 dB higher than previously published results. Theoretical predictions are compared against experimental measurements for a well characterized DFB FL. Anomalous 1/f noise at low frequency is discussed     

Analysis of below-threshold spectrum and linewidth of surface-emitting lambda /4-shifted DFB lasers with DBR mirror

The frequency distribution of spontaneous emission noise below lasing threshold and the spectral linewidth in lasing operation are analysed for surface-emitting lambda /4-shifted distributed feedback (DFB) lasers consisting of alternating active and passive layers with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror.<>     

Transfer-matrix analysis of the intensity and phase noise ofmultisection DFB semiconductor lasers

A general small-signal model for the intensity and phase noise spectra of multisection distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers is developed by using the transfer-matrix approach based on the Green's function method. The spontaneous emission enhancements due to nonuniform longitudinal field distribution and the effective amplitude-phase coupling effect (the effective linewidth enhancement factor) are taken into account in the formulation. Analytical expressions for the spectra of the relative intensity noise and the FM noise of the main mode in the multimode operation are presented by using the transfer functions in a flow-graph representation. Facet reflectivities and external optical feedback are included in the model. The effects of the grating coupling coefficient, the random grating-phase at the facets, the phase-shift position, the external optical feedback, and the side mode on the noise spectra are analyzed systematically for a λ/4-shifted DFB laser     

107-mW low-noise green-light emission by frequency doubling of a reliable 1060-nm DFB semiconductor laser diode

We have generated 107-mW green-light emission by frequency doubling of a reliable 1060-nm distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode using a periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate waveguide in the most compact single-pass configuration. The green power variation is lower than 1% at frequencies below 82 kHz. The relative intensity noise of -150 dB/Hz has been measured at 100 MHz. We also report 5000-h life-test results of 1060-nm DFB lasers at 80/spl deg/C.     

Modeling the static and dynamic behavior of quarter-wave-shiftedDFB lasers

High-coupling (grating coupling constant=3.0) phase-shifted distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers are studied using a transmission-line laser model (TTLM) which includes spatial hole burning (SHB), the material gain spectrum, refractive index dependence on carrier concentration, and random spontaneous emission. Good agreement for CW spectra is shown with other models and experimental results. Dynamic simulation of laser transients shows SHB-induced deterministic mode hopping and chirping at moderate output powers. The effects of mode hopping and chirping on system performance are studied using a laser model combined with a fiber model     

DFB FL Sensor Cross-Coupling Reduction

The effect of weak external reflections on distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser (FL) sensor frequency noise has been studied. For multiplexed DFB FL arrays, it was demonstrated that out-of-band reflections from DFB FL raise the noise level of adjacent lasers by up to 50 dB. It was further demonstrated that by incorporating a complex phase- and amplitude-apodized FL grating design with high sidelobe suppression, cross coupling due to out-of-band reflections can be reduced to negligible levels, and Rayleigh backscatter limited noise performance can be achieved. Practical limitations to acoustic sensitivity of DFB FL sensors due to increased laser frequency noise are discussed, and ways to reduce DFB FL sensitivity to external reflections are proposed     

Nonlinear dynamics in directly modulated multiple-quantum-welllaser diodes

A theoretical and experimental analysis of the nonlinear dynamics of Fabry-Perot (FP) and distributed feedback (DFB) multiple-quantum-well (MQW) laser diodes is presented. The analysis is performed under single-tone and two-tone direct modulation. In the FP laser, we observe period doubling and in the DFB laser both period doubling and period tripling are identified. Period doubling is found over a wide range of modulation frequencies in both lasers. The reason for this wide modulation frequency range is attributed to the large relaxation frequencies found in MQW laser diodes. The spontaneous emission factor is measured for both FP and DFB lasers. The dependencies of period doubling on output power and RF input power level are also analyzed. The nonlinear dynamics of the laser are found to be enhanced when modulated under two-tone modulation. Numerical simulations carried out show good agreement with the measured results