Power scaling in quantum-well laser amplifiers

The effects of increasing excitation on the performance of quantum-well semiconductor laser amplifiers were investigated. Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and gain roll over at high injected carrier densities are two limitations to the power scaling of these devices. A Rigrod analysis was used to study the effects of these limitations on the gain, ratio of signal to ASE power, and efficiency for different values of injection current, facet reflectivity, and input laser intensity. Comparisons are made with an equivalent amplifier operating with a bulk semiconductor gain medium. This analysis suggests that quantum-well semiconductor amplifier performance improves with a double-pass configuration     

线性光放大器的宽带自发辐射噪声分析

建立含有垂直光场(VCL)的线性光放大器(LOAs)稳态仿真模型,考虑了宽带噪声特性、端面反射和纵向空间烧孔效应。计算了在不同输入信号功率和垂直腔分布布喇格反射器(DBR)反射率下总的输出ASE噪声功率、噪声系数(NF)、前向和后向传输的ASE噪声光子速率和噪声谱分布的变化。结果表明,与传统光放大器(SOAs)相比,在增益非饱和区,LOA有很好的噪声钳制作用,ASE噪声几乎不随信号功率的改变而变化。在增益饱和区,破坏了VCL的钳制作用,NF有所上升,但上升的速率小于SOA。提高DBR反射率,总的输出ASE噪声功率减小,但NF有所增大。     

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     

Analysis of Ultra-Broadband Amplified Spontaneous Emissions Generated by ${rm Cr}^{4+}{:}{rm YAG}$ Single and Glass-Clad Crystal Fibers

Numerical analysis and experimental verification of the ultra-broadband amplified spontaneous emissions (ASEs) generated by Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal fibers are presented. Milliwatt ASE was obtained from a double-clad 25-mum-core fiber. Results of the experimental ASE power measurements and the composition analysis using electron probe micro-analyzer were used to determine the absorption, emission, and excited-state absorption cross sections of pump and signal of the crystal fibers. The numerical analysis showed that the ASE output power is improved by reducing the fiber core diameter down to several micrometers despite of the increased consumption in excited-state absorption of pump. A comparison of the cross sections between those in literature and this work indicates that the crystal fiber has good crystal and optical qualities using the laser heated pedestal growth method. The large pump absorption of the Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal fiber limits its useful length. With such short fiber length, the ASE lights can not acquire enough gain. The ASE efficiency can be further improved by using bi-direction and cladding pump structure to increase the crystal fiber length and incorporating a high ASE reflector at the input end of the crystal fiber. The Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal fiber has a potential for applying to ultra-broadband ASE light source in wavelength division multiplexing network.     

Degradation of side-mode suppression ratio in a DFB laser integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier

The degradation of the side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) in a monolithically integrated distributed feedback laser and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) cavity is investigated. An expression is derived that gives the degradation of the SMSR in the case of a perfectly antireflection-coated SOA facet. The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) backcoupling can have dramatic effects and degrade the SMSR of single-mode devices to unacceptable levels.     

Theory of signal degradation in semiconductor laser amplifiers withfinite facet reflectivities

An analytic expression is derived for the output signal spectrum from a semiconductor laser amplifier (SCLA) using an approach analogous to the Langevin equations of laser noise analysis. The authors present an analysis of the line broadening effects of SCLAs taking into account the effect of facet reflectivities. The signal linewidth is shown to increase with input linewidth and amplifier gain. There is an optimum facet reflectivity which gives the smallest linewidth increase. The results have significant implications in weakly coherent systems utilizing cascades of optical amplifiers     

A simple method to determine carrier recombinations in asemiconductor laser optical amplifier

The contribution of nonradiative carrier recombinations to the characteristics of long-wavelength InGaAsP/InP semiconductor laser devices is verified by measuring the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) power from a 1.5-μm semiconductor laser amplifier (SLA) against the bias current. This method provides a simple and straightforward way to determine the mathematical form of recombination rate in a long-wavelength semiconductor laser, provided that the structural parameters of the laser are known     

基于半导体光放大器的非相干光源抗反膜的优化设计

对半导体光放大器(SOA)放大的自发发射(ASE)谱进行了实验和理论研究,并且分析了SOA端面反射率对ASE谱的谱宽以及平坦度的影响.结果表明,不恰当的抗反膜会严重减小输出光谱的带宽;而在采用具有宽带材料增益谱的有源区基础上,结合抗反膜的优化设计,则可以获得既宽又平坦的非相干光源.     

Characterization of an ASE reflector-based gain-clamped erbium-doped fiber amplifier

We develop a simulation tool for an all-optical gain-clamped erbium-doped fiber amplifier (GC-EDFA) based on an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) reflector and thoroughly verify its validity by comparing simulation data with experimental ones. We carry out simulation work as changing conditions like reflection ratio and bandwidth of the ASE reflector, EDF length, and pump power. From this work, we have an exact understanding about the gain clamping principle that a reflected ASE acts like an intensity reservoir against input signal intensity variation. In general, as a reflected ASE power becomes higher, both a dynamic range and a noise figure (NF) increase; on the other hand, a clamped gain value decreases. The ASE reflector-based gain clamping scheme can be used for EDFAs with low NF characteristics at small input signal range in case a reflected ASE power is set at a level much lower than powers required for normal gain clamping function.     

连续掺镱光纤放大器的提取效率

连续光纤激光器在加工及军事等领域都有重要应用。为了研究掺镱光纤放大器中影响提取效率的关键因素,在稳态激光速率方程基础上,考虑光纤放大器中自发辐射放大,建立了高功率光纤放大器的数值模型,并分析提取效率与光纤端面反射率,信号光功率以及抽运光功率之间的关系。采用反向抽运光纤放大器的实验方案,对有关提取效率的理论分析进行了初步验证。理论计算结果与实验验证结果的偏差小于10%。研究结果定性地描述了光纤端面反射率、信号光的功率和抽运光的功率对光纤放大器提取效率的影响。     

激光二极管抽运的主振荡级与功率放大器结构Nd∶YVO4激光器

为了实现固体激光器高功率、高光束质量的输出,设计了一种激光二极管(LD)阵列抽运的主振荡级与功率放大器(MOPA)结构的Nd∶YVO4激光器。该激光器的振荡级采用平-平谐振腔结构,并使用棱镜组对激光二极管阵列的抽运光整形,消除了激光二极管阵列抽运光不对称对振荡器输出光束质量的影响,在连续工作条件下获得了6.1 W的激光输出,其光束质量M2因子为M2x=1.14,M2y=1.13,光-光转换效率为25.6%。放大级采用具有近共焦、非稳腔特点的折叠光路结构,使振荡级激光光束10次通过放大级晶体,并且有效地抑制了放大自发辐射(ASE)和寄生振荡。在振荡级以6.1 W注入放大器时,得到最大输出功率26.8 W,此时放大器提取效率为29.1%,输出光束质量M2因子为M2x=2.08,M2y=1.92。     

Relative Intensity Noise Performance of Wavelength Converters Based on Four-Wave Mixing in Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

We present a numerical and experimental study of the relative intensity noise (RIN) induced by the four-wave mixing (FWM) based wavelength conversion process in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The study is based on the RIN evaluation of the converted signal, under various operating conditions (input power levels and wavelength detuning) and input noise characteristics. A detailed numerical model is employed to simulate the FWM process, taking into account the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, the wavelength dependent gain, and the interaction of four waves in the SOA (two input waves and two product waves). It is shown that for low noise input signals, the output RIN is determined by the power levels of the pump and signal and the wavelength detuning. Operation under saturation allows reduction of the output RIN levels with respect to the input     

Theoretical and experimental investigation of a thin-film waveguide laser amplifier with a lossy cladding

In laser amplifiers using high gain materials such as dyes or semiconductors, the inherent broad-band amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) may strongly saturate the amplifier gain: this yields a severe limitation on the amplification of small signals. We show that this difficulty can be appreciably overcome in an optical waveguide amplifier with a lossy cladding. A theoretical analysis of gain saturation by the ASE noise in a lossy cladding waveguide amplifier is given, and the small-signal gain improvement is stressed. An experiment involving a metal-clad thin-film dye laser amplifier is reported, the results of which are in agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

基于半导体光放大器的可调谐环形腔激光器的激光建立过程

基于半导体光放大器(SOA)的环形腔激光器可实现高达兆赫兹的高速调谐,在光纤通信和光纤传感领域有广泛应用。采用稳态模型和分段算法研究SOA自发辐射特性,并基于此分别讨论了使用高斯型滤波器和法布里-珀罗(F-P)滤波器的两种可调谐环形腔激光器,研究了激光建立过程的特性,包括输出光谱和输出光功率随绕行圈数的变化,讨论了波长调谐的速度。结果表明,F-P滤波器的环形腔可以更快建立激光振荡,便于实际高速调谐应用。     

Performance of open-loop all-optical chaotic communication systems under strong injection condition

A numerical investigation of the performance of an open-loop optical chaotic communication system for the isochronous synchronization solution has been carried out, under strong optical injection conditions achieved using antireflective coating at the input facet of the receiver laser in combination with an optical erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). Different message encoding techniques have been considered and tested at multigigabit rates and for different levels of optical injection to the receiver. The effects induced by the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise of the EDFA to the performance of the chaotic communication system have also been studied. The performance of all the examined encryption methods for the 1 Gb/s bit-rate messages was quite satisfactory and was characterized by Q-factor values that exceeded 10, after synchronizing in the strong injection regime. For higher message bit rates, the Q-factor values for all methods decrease considerably due to the residual frequency components of the chaotic carrier that are now more significant in the message spectral region. The effect of the amplifier's ASE noise to the system's performance was deteriorated as long as the EDFA chaotic input was kept in relatively high power levels.     

Diode-laser pumped erbium-doped fluorozirconate fibre amplifier for the 1530 nm communications window

An erbium-doped fluorozirconate fibre amplifier has been pumped at 1480 nm using a semiconductor diode laser. The small signal gain was 15 dB for 25 mW launched pump power. The ASE bandwidth was 45 nm and the predicted noise figure was 5 dB.<>     

Amplified spontaneous emission in pulse-pumped Raman amplifiers

We discuss amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) generated in Raman amplifiers that are counter-pumped with trains of pulses. Our experimental and theoretical results show that if the peak power of the pump pulses is too high, the ASE output from the amplifier can be significantly higher than that from a continuous-wave pumped amplifier providing the same gain. This effect places a lower limit on the duty cycle of pump pulses one can use for a given level of Raman gain. Furthermore, we report an additional ASE enhancement if there is insufficient walkoff between the pump pulses and copropagating ASE to average the effects of higher frequency pump intensity noise. As a result, less pump intensity noise can be tolerated when pulse-pumping a fiber having a zero-dispersion wavelength located midway between the pump and signal wavelengths.     

Wide-range tunable semiconductor lasers using asymmetric dualquantum wells

Using asymmetric dual quantum wells for the laser material, the semiconductor lasers are broadly tunable. In a grating coupled ring cavity, the semiconductor laser is continuously tunable from 766 to 856 nm using a 400-μm semiconductor laser amplifier in the cavity. This letter also demonstrates that the grating coupled ring cavity could well eliminate the amplified stimulated emission noise and about 40-dB amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) suppression ratio is obtained over the entire tuning range     

掺铒光纤放大器噪声特性的全面分析

本文对掺铒光纤放大器（ＥＤＦＡ）的噪声特性进行了全面的分析。把光信号和ＥＤＦＡ中放大自发辐射（ＡＳＥ）产生的量子噪声，以及信号－ＡＳＥ拍频噪声和ＡＳＥ－ＡＳＥ拍频噪声一并加以考虑。通过数值模拟，给出了不同信号功率和泵浦功率下的ＥＤＦＡ噪声系数。这些结果对优化ＥＤＦＡ的工作参量及其工程制作具有一定的指导作用。     

Er3+/Yb3+共掺双包层光纤放大器实验研究

对1550nm高功率窄线宽光纤放大器进行了实验研究。该放大器采用双级放大(MOPA)结构, 其中第一级预放采用5 m长的掺Er3+光纤, 将种子光信号放大到约90 mW; 采用15 m长的Er3+/Yb3+共掺双包层光纤放大器作为二级放大, 抽运源采用2支工作波长为980 nm的大功率激光二极管(LD), 抽运阈值功率约1.3 W。 当抽运功率为10.8 W时, 得到放大激光输出功率为1.97 W, 光-光转换效率为18 %, 斜率效率为21%, 增益大于13 dB。所采用的种子光源为1550 nm单频窄线宽(DFB)LD, 输出功率为10 mW; 采用延迟自外差方法对种子源及放大器输出的线宽进行测量, 测量结果显示该种子源及放大后的激光输出的3 dB线宽均约为220 kHz, 在目前的实验条件下, 没有观察到放大后的激光线宽展宽现象。