Intensity noise of laser diodes with optical feedback

We examine the intensity noise of laser diodes with optical feedback for several feedback conditions. Three stable feedback conditions have been observed, which are defined as follows: an external mirror length shorter than 15 mm, small and large ratios of mirror to laser-front facet reflectivities. Reduction of the external-cavity length, notably to less than 15 mm, stabilized the laser diode and resulted in low intensity noise. A new theoretical treatment of optical feedback is proposed, wherein the feedback field is taken into account in the boundary condition at the feedback coupling laser facet. Theoretical derivations of the intensity noise of external-cavity feedback laser diodes are in good agreement with measured results     

端面反射对集成光源高频特性的影响及其抑制

研究了分布反馈型半导体激光器（DFB-LD）与电吸收（EA）调制器集成光源中调制器端面残余反射对器件高频特性的影响及其消除。针对在DFB-LD／EA集成光源小信号调制响应曲线低频段观察到的异常起伏,测量了DFB-LD的强度噪声谱,比较了不同反向偏压下EA调制器的调制响应。实验结果表明,对集成器件调制响应的干扰主要是来自于EA调制器端面的残余反射而不是微波调制信号的串扰。为了抑制调制器端面的光反射,优化了抗反镀膜工艺,基本消除了调制响应的异常起伏,有效改善了集成器件的高频调制特性。     

放大自发辐射注入波长锁定法布里-珀罗激光器

波分复用无源光网络(WDM-PON)被认为是接入网的最终解决方案,基于放大自发辐射(ASE)注入波长锁定法布里-珀罗(F-P)激光器的WDM-PON由于其价格低廉和容易实现颜色无关操作而受到极大关注.实验研究了ASE注入波长锁定F-P激光器的ASE增益、边模抑制比(SMSR)和相对强度噪声(RIN)随F-P激光器注入电流和ASE注入功率的变化关系,理论模拟了ASE注入功率和增益一定时,F-P激光器注入电流随其前端面反射率的变化关系,并从实验上进行了验证.研究结果表明,当F-P激光器的注入电流为阈值电流的1.3～1.7倍时,能获得满足应用需要的相对强度噪声和边模抑制比.对于一定的ASE注入功率和输出功率,存在使注入电流最小的最佳前端面反射率.     

Noise and longitudinal mode characteristics of (GaAl)As TS lasers with reduced facet reflectivities

The AM noise in operation of index-guided (GaAl)As lasers is found to be strikingly reduced by the antireflection (AR) coating of cavity facets. This effect is shown to result from the longitudinal multi-mode operation due to the reduced facet reflectivity. It is observed that the width of the envelope of a laser spectrum depends on the facet reflectivity as well as the laser output power. The AM noise in the low-frequency range of the reduced reflectivity lasers is shown to be nearly constant with respect to temperature change. In contrast, the AM noise in a laser without the AR facet coating is characterized by a number of spikes occurring over a wide temperature range.     

Modeling of intensity noise including squeezing in DFB andFabry-Perot semiconductor laser diodes

A new time-domain model using the quantum formalism of the positive-P distribution is used to investigate squeezing in laser diodes, taking into account longitudinal hole burning and distributed noise sources, under steady-state and large-signal modulation. Simulations indicate that the laser structure determines the lowest achievable intensity noise. With losses present or power escaping from the rear facet, this minimum noise may be much higher than expected from the device quantum efficiency. Squeezing appears more difficult in DFB lasers than in Fabry-Perot lasers in our simulations. Mode-partition noise is removed by low-loss passive DBR sections, and such laser diodes are promising sources with low-intensity noise. Intensity noise in the large-signal dynamic regime is also simulated, showing that intensity-squeezed light output is possible     

半导体抽运Nd:YAG激光器强度噪声抑制的研究

为了降低半导体抽运固体激光器的弛豫振荡噪声,提高其输出功率的稳定性,采用光电负反馈的方法来抑制半导体抽运的固体激光器的强度噪声,并对激光器强度噪声的理论特性进行了分析。根据理论分析结果设计了比例-积分-微分反馈控制电路,通过运用该反馈电路对激光器进行强度噪声抑制实验,得到了比较理想的实验数据,即当抽运功率为700mW、弛豫振荡峰频率为300kHz时,弛豫振荡峰值处和低频区域强度噪声分别降低了45dB和15dB;当抽运功率为550mW、弛豫振荡峰值为250kHz时,弛豫振荡峰值处和低频区域强度噪声分别降低了40dB和10dB。结果表明,该反馈控制电路能够有效地降低半导体抽运固体激光器的强度噪声,提高激光器输出功率的稳定性。     

Locking and Noise Properties of Multisection Semiconductor Lasers With Optical Injection. Application to Fabry–PÉrot and DFB Cavities

An analytical theory is presented for the study of injection locking in multisection semiconductor lasers. The Helmoltz equation for the electric field is solved using the Green's function method and the injected fields are included via the boundary conditions. Two cases are distinguished, injection through the front facet of the laser and injection through the rear facet. In both cases, an equation of evolution for the envelope of the electric field is established, taking into account the longitudinal distribution of the carrier and photon densities and the nonlinear gain. The expressions of the intensity, phase and carrier density noise spectra are derived using a matrix formulation. Comparison to classical equations used for Fabry-Perot lasers is discussed. The locking properties of a distributed feedback laser with an antireflection coated front facet are studied in detail. Results demonstrate the strong sensitivity of the locking properties on the phase grating and rear facet reflectivity.     

Noise reduction in single longitudinal mode lasers by high-reflectivity coatings

Feedback-induced noise in single longitudinal mode semiconductor lasers was suppressed over a wide range of the amount of the optical feedback light by high-reflectivity facet coatings. A relative intensity noise value was as low as -143 dB/Hz at 3 mW output power under 1 percent of optical feedback in the GaAlAs lasers with high-reflectivity (0.75) facets.     

One-chip optical transmitter with a microcleaved facet AlGaAs/GaAs GRIN-SCH SQW laser

An AlGaAs/GaAs one-chip optoelectronic integrated transmitter with an inner mirror facet laser has been fabricated, and stable CW, high-speed operation has been demonstrated. The successful results obtained are mainly due to a low threshold current of the integrated laser, a graded index waveguide separate confinement heterostructure single quantum well (GRIN-SCH SQW) laser with a microcleaved facet (MCF) of good quality.     

偏置信号和噪声对单模激光随机共振的影响

为了研究激光系统的性质,采用色抽运噪声和实虚部关联的量子噪声驱动的单模激光损失模型,用线性化近似方法,对单模激光系统的输出光强信噪比进行了理论分析;并具体分析了调制信号振幅、低频调制信号频率、高频载波信号频率、量子噪声强度、抽运噪声强度以及量子噪声实部、虚部间的关联系数对系统随机共振的影响。结果表明,信噪比随激光系统净增益系数存在随机共振现象。此结果对优化激光动力学提供了理论依据。     

光电反馈抑制掺铒光纤激光器的低频强度噪声

通过光电反馈电路对掺铒光纤激光器的中低频噪声进行了抑制。根据速率方程理论,分析了影响掺铒光纤激光器强度噪声的因素,通过电路仿真分析优化反馈电路参数,重点讨论反馈信号的相位对噪声抑制的影响。实验表明：激光器的低频(小于20KHz)强度噪声平均降低了10dB,中频弛豫振荡峰处（30KHz附近）抑制达35dB,并且克服了光电反馈抑制强度噪声使弛豫振荡峰向高频移动,导致高频噪声增大的问题。优异的噪声特性使光纤激光器在光传感领域具有很高的实用价值。     

Study of wavelength shift in InGaAs/InAlGaAs QW DFB lasers based onlaser parameters from a comparison of experiment and theory

Experimental data of InGaAs/InAlGaAs quantum well distributed feedback (DFB) lasers such as spectra, under continuous and pulsed biasing, relative intensity noise and linewidth, are compared with the results of model calculations based on a transfer matrix method. Using experimental data of different lasers, a set of physical DFB laser parameters was determined. We succeeded in describing all the experimental data of different lasers by the same set. The determined parameter set was further applied to study the influence of facet properties on the wavelength shift of DFB lasers. We found a very strong dependence of the wavelength tunability on the end facet phases. The wavelength shift varies by a factor up to three between different end facet phases and coatings. This is crucial for the yield of, for example, tunable multisection DFB lasers with an envisaged large tuning range     

Dispersion and noise of 1.3 μm multimode lasers in microwavedigital systems

The intensity noise and the performance in a 1.7 Gb/s digital system of 1.3 μm InGaAsP multilongitudinal mode lasers is discussed. The total intensity noise, mode partitioning, and the impact of dispersion on optical noise are measured. It is found that under CW conditions the total simulated emission from unpackaged lasers is inherently quiet, with an integrated optical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 26.8±1.5 dB over a bandwidth of 1.5 GHz and 5 mW/facet. The optical SNR decreased as a function of increasing reflection. Intense mode partitioning decreased the SNR of the main mode by ~20 dB and reduced the effective coherence length to ~2 cm in glass fiber. At 1.7 Gb/s, the power penalities associated with laser bias and fiber dispersion are reported. The best receiver sensitivity is obtained when the laser is biased 1.3 mA below threshold. In general, it is found that as the bit rate increases, the optimum transmitter design becomes progressively more restrictive     

Noise analysis of injection-locked semiconductor injection lasers

The noise of injection-locked semiconductor lasers is analyzed by rate equations including the spontaneous emission noise. The side mode suppression and the relative intensity noise (RIN) of the locked laser (slave laser) are given for different wavelengths detuning between the master and slave laser and for different linewidth enhancement factors α. For large α, locking is difficult to achieve, whereas extremely low noise may be obtained for injection-locked lasers with a low linewidth enhancement factor.     

半非平面单块激光器强度噪声及其抑制的研究

实验研究了半非平面单块固体环形Nd∶YAG激光器的强度噪声特性和抑制技术。结果表明,弛豫振荡仍是该种激光器强度噪声最主要的来源。噪声峰值频率随抽运和输出功率的增加向高频方向移动,同时噪声峰宽度增加幅度降低,且在峰值频率附近发生180°相位跃变。采用光电反馈方法设计和制作了包含低噪声宽带接收、比例积分微分(PID)调整等单元组成的噪声抑制电路,测量了整个系统及各部分的传递函数,实现了强度噪声的抑制。当弛豫振荡峰值频率为600kHz时,噪声峰值处和低频区域幅度降低分别接近40dB和15dB。     

Criterion of external feedback sensitivity in index-coupled andgain-coupled DFB semiconductor lasers to be free from excess intensitynoise

Sensitivities of index-coupled as well as gain-coupled DFB semiconductor lasers to external optical feedback are theoretically investigated in this work. The conditions of getting free operation from excess intensity noise in these two types of DFB lasers are obtained. It is found that the sensitivity of external feedback for these two types of DFB laser depends significantly on the structure such as the internal grating, the facet reflection, and the phase relation between the grating and the facet. The condition of making a DFB laser less sensitive to external optical feedback is to adjust the lasing wavelength to the Bragg wavelength in both index-coupled and gain-coupled structures. A phase-adjusting mechanism such as the λ/4 shift region in the index-coupled structure is effective to avoid the external feedback     

外部光反馈半导体激光器的结构优化研究

通过构建外部光反馈半导体激光器的理论模型,并结合激光器速率方程和噪声理论,讨论并优化了增益芯片和光纤光栅外腔各参数在不同电流下对器件频率噪声和相对强度噪声的影响.模拟结果表明:通过改变电流并对有源区尺寸、光纤光栅结构和耦合效率等参数的调整,在理论上可以将器件的频率噪声降低5×108 Hz左右,相对强度噪声降低8 dB/Hz左右.该研究将为低噪声、窄线宽外部光反馈激光器的实验研究提供理论指导,同时也对其他结构的外腔激光器噪声特性的研究有着借鉴意义.     

利用光电反馈抑制钛宝石激光器低频段的强度噪声

对前置光电负反馈抑制钛宝石激光器强度噪声方法的特性进行了理论分析,表明注入噪声不同时对应的最佳反馈增益不同。利用前置光电负反馈方法,在实验上实现了全固态连续单频可调谐钛宝石激光器低频段的强度噪声抑制,通过调节反馈增益,使激光器的强度噪声抑制程度最大。在分析频率为1.125 MHz处,强度噪声由原来的8.7 dB降低到了1.4 dB,抑制程度达7.3 dB。调节反馈增益和相位延时,可以获得不同分析频率的强度噪声的降低。     

A Simple and Color-Free WDM-Passive Optical Network Using Spectrum-Sliced Fabry–PÉrot Laser Diodes

We propose and demonstrate a simple and color-free wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) using spectrum-sliced Fabry-Perot laser diodes (F-P LDs). Due to its low front facet reflectivity (~0.1%), the F-P LD shows a broadband lasing spectrum and reduced mode partition noise. By utilizing multiple peaks that are separated by the free-spectral range of the cyclic arrayed waveguide gratings, the 16-channel WDM-PON is successfully demonstrated at 155 Mb/s.     

Experimental Investigation and Analytical Modeling of Excess Intensity Noise in Semiconductor Class-A Lasers

Excess intensity noise in a low-noise single-frequency class-A VECSEL is experimentally investigated over the frequency range 10 kHz-18 GHz. An analytical model is derived, based on multimode Langevin equations, to describe the observed laser excess noise over the whole bandwidth. From 50 MHz to 18 GHz, class-A operation leads to a shot noise limited relative intensity noise (RIN), namely -155 dB/Hz for 1-mA detected photocurrent, except at harmonics of the cavity free spectral range (FSR). At these frequencies, the excess noise is shown to be due to the amplified spontaneous emission contained in the nonlasing side modes. The measured levels of excess noise correspond to side mode suppression ratios (SMSRs) ranging from 70 to 90 dB, in agreement with the model. At low frequencies, 10 kHz-50 MHz, the observed excess noise spectrum has the expected Lorentzian shape. Its bandwidth increases with the pumping rate to an upper limit given by the cavity photon lifetime. Below this cutoff frequency, we show that the pump RIN is the dominant source of noise, while it is filtered by the laser dynamics above. Finally, our model permits to design a semiconductor class-A laser with an intensity noise limited to the shot noise level over the whole 10 kHz-18 GHz bandwidth.