Mode-guiding in bistable twin-stripe lasers

Mode-guiding mechanisms responsible for bistable properties of twin-stripe lasers are discussed with particular reference to optical injection effects. Calculations of the change in lasing field intensity as a function of both optical input power and injection current levels are presented.     

Analysis of lateral-mode behavior in broad-area InGaN quantum-welllasers

A wave-optical model that is coupled to a microscopic gain theory is used to investigate lateral mode behavior in group-III nitride quantum-well lasers. Beam filamentation due to self-focusing in the gain medium is found to limit fundamental-mode output to narrow stripe lasers or to operation close to lasing threshold. Differences between nitride and conventional near-infrared semiconductor lasers arise because of band structure differences, in particular, the presence of a strong quantum-confined Stark effect in the former. Increasing mirror reflectivities in plane-plane resonators to reduce lasing threshold current tends to exacerbate the filamentation problem. On the other hand, a negative-branch unstable resonator is found to mitigate filament effects, enabling fundamental-mode operation far above threshold in broad-area lasers     

Observation of switching related to bistability between twocross-coupled lateral modes in twin-stripe lasers

Switching between two cross-coupled lateral modes in gain-guided twin-stripe lasers has been experimentally observed with current injection of nominally identical pulses, which strongly indicates bistability. Near- and far-field patterns at both facets are presented, which clearly shows a skewed light field which couples from under one stripe to under the other. Cross-coupled mode operation was obtained only for relatively long cavity lasers, which is consistent with the theory for twin-stripe lasers with high interstripe gain     

Compensation of line-broadening factor in twin-stripe semiconductor lasers and improved modulation potential

A concept for a twin-stripe semiconductor laser is presented in which the simultaneous gain and refractive index variation induced by carriers injected into one stripe can be converted into either a pure amplitude or a pure frequency variation in the lasing supermode. Applications include high-frequency chirp-free amplitude modulation, reduced line width and pure phase modulation.     

Numerical solution of lateral current spreading and diffusion in near-threshold DH twin-stripe lasers

A numerical solution is presented to the problem of lateral current spreading in double heterostructure twin-stripe lasers when lateral diffusion of carriers and bimolecular recombination effects are present. The current components flowing into both the p-type confining layer and the active layer are solved simultaneously, subject to the boundary conditions imposed at the heterojunction. This yields the two-dimensional potential and the current density distributions in the p-type confining layer and the lateral carder density distribution in the active region. Diffusion and bimolecular radiative recombination effects are included in the solution of the current distribution in the active layer. The lateral current and carrier density distributions along the active layer are presented for single- and twin-stripe devices for a variety of electrode injection currents. The paper highlights the influence of device geometry and diffusion on the carrier distributions found beneath the stripes of twin-stripe lasers.     

Numerical procedure for the lateral-mode analysis of broad-areasemiconductor lasers with an external cavity

A numerical procedure for the investigation of the lateral modes of semiconductor lasers with an external cavity is described. The propagation of the optical field inside the semiconductor laser is carried out via a standard beam-propagation scheme, while the method of coordinate scaling with the generalized Huygens-Fresnel integral allows for a computationally efficient propagation of the field in the external cavity. Using an eigenfunction solver based on the Prony method, it is shown that a simple external-cavity configuration comprising a broad area laser, a collimation lens, and a uniform end reflector can exhibit a complex modal behavior. Compared to a solitary broad area laser, optimized external cavities can yield enhanced modal discriminations, resulting in a single-lateral-mode operation with output power in excess of 100 mW along with a clean, single-lobed far-field pattern. The spatial-filtering action of the broad-area laser is highlighted, and we also discuss of the role played by the wavefront curvature of the beam incident upon the broad-area laser for achieving an efficient suppression of the higher order modes along with minimum increase of the threshold current     

Third-order nonlinearity induced lateral-mode frequency locking andbeam instability in the high-power operation of narrow-ridgesemiconductor lasers

Lateral-mode frequency locking in the high-power operation of narrow-ridge semiconductor lasers is shown to be attributable to carrier-induced third-order nonlinearities. Not only are known experimental characteristics of beam steering explained with this theory, but new insights into the nature of beam steering, such as its inherent bistable behavior, are obtained     

Polarization characteristics of fiber DFB lasers related to sensingapplications

An experimental and theoretical investigation of how the polarization mode competition and beat frequency of Er-doped fiber distributed-feedback lasers depend on perturbations such as localized transverse forces, back reflections, or changes in pump polarization is reported. Good agreement between the experiments and a comprehensive theoretical model is obtained. Use of a dual-polarization laser as a transverse force sensor with a resolution on the order of 1-100 nN/√Hz above 20 Hz is also discussed     

两段式DFB激光器波长调谐特性分析

利用耦合波方程,对两段式DFB激光器进行理论分析,得出了激光器激射工作时两段载流子浓度和激射波长之间所满足的隐含表达式。作为特例,分析了吸收型器件在两段等长情况下的阈值载流子浓度变化和波长调谐特性。     

具有梯形衬底结构半导体激光器的稳态特性分析

本文导出了梯形衬底半导体激光器的侧向扩展电流分布并提出了一种新的分析梯形衬底激光器稳态特性的模型。根据这一模型对梯形衬底双异质结结构和大光腔结构进行了分析和比较。分析结果和文献报道的实验结果很好地符合。     

Analysis of mode characteristics for hexagonal resonator lasers

Mode characteristics of hexagonal resonators are numerically simulated by the two-dimensional (2-D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. For the hexagonal resonator with the side length of 3 μm and the refractive index of 3.2, the mode quality (Q) factors decrease from 10⁴ to 10² as the resonant wavelength increases from 1.1 to 3.2 μm. The modes have a relatively high Q factor as their even and odd states have different mode wavelengths and different Q factors, i.e., they are accidentally degenerate modes. The azimuthal mode numbers obtained from mode field distribution for the accidentally degenerate modes satisfy the mode number relation derived from the symmetry characteristics for the split of double-degenerate modes. Furthermore, the numerical results indicate that an output waveguide parallel to one of the sides is the better scheme for directional emission. For the hexagonal resonator with 3 m side length and 0.3 μm wide output waveguide, the Q factor of 5.05×10³ and output efficiency of 33% are obtained at the mode wavelength of 1.29 μm.     

垂直腔面发射激光器热场特性分析

应用格林函数方法计算了增益波导垂直腔面发射激光器的热传导方程,分析了电流扩展、材料参数和工作条件对温度分布的影响。计算结果表明,电流扩展是影响这种激光器热场特性的主要因素,降低阈值电流是减小温升的有效方法。     

Analysis of the spectrum behavior below the threshold in DFB lasers

The spectrum behavior below the threshold in DFB lasers has been investigated. Analysis shows that the emission spectrum has peaks predicted by the threshold theory and proper valleys between large peaks. The results of our analysis should aid in the evaluation of DFB structure parameters.     

Analysis of the time domain characteristics of tapered semiconductor lasers

We use traveling wave coupling theory to investigate the time domain characteristics of tapered semiconductor lasers with DBR gratings.We analyze the influence of the length of second order gratings on the power and spectrum of output light,and optimizing the length of gratings,in order to reduce the mode competition effect in the device,and obtain the high power output light wave with good longitudinal mode characteristics.     

Analysis of the high temperature characteristics of InGaAs-AlGaAsstrained quantum-well lasers

The effect of high temperature on the threshold gain and threshold current density of an In_0.15Ga_0.85As strained quantum-well laser is examined both theoretically and experimentally. It is found that the nonlinearity of the gain-versus-current relationship increases with temperature. The implications of this result on laser cavity design for optimal high-temperature performance are discussed. The effect of high temperature on modulation bandwidth is also considered. While the numerical results are specific to an In_0.15 Ga_0.85As strained quantum-well laser, qualitatively they apply to all quantum-well lasers     

垂直腔面发射激光器驻波图样与特性分析

根据电场在激光器腔镜反射的相位特性,研究了在不同腔镜组合情况下垂直腔面发射半导体激光器(VCSEL)几种可能的驻波图样。结果表明,驻波图样与两端反射镜顶层折射率的选择密切相关,有源层中心与驻波波腹的相对位置对VCSEL的限制因子以及阈值特性等有很大的影响。     

半导体微腔激光器瞬态响应及调制特性分析

针对半导体微腔激光器的结构特点,考虑到腔量子电动力学中自发辐射增强效应,采用传统速率方程的表示形式,建立了微腔激光器的速率方程,着重讨论了微腔激光器的瞬态响应及调制特性,给出了其动态特性的仿真结果,分析了自发辐射因子、注入电流和腔长对微腔激光器的激射阈值、延迟时间、驰豫振荡频率和光输出等参量的影响,从而为改善微腔激光器的高频调制特性和优化器件结构提供了理论依据.     

半导体微腔激光器瞬态响应及调制特性分析

针对半导体微腔激光器的结构特点,考虑到腔量子电动力学中自发辐射增强效应,采用传统速率方程的表示形式,建立了微腔激光器的速率方程,着重讨论了微腔激光器的瞬态响应及调制特性,给出了其动态特性的仿真结果,分析了自发辐射因子、注入电流和腔长对微腔激光器的激射阈值、延迟时间、驰豫振荡频率和光输出等参量的影响,从而为改善微腔激光器的高频调制特性和优化器件结构提供了理论依据。     

Impedance characteristics of quantum-well lasers

We derive theoretical expressions for the impedance of quantum-well lasers below and above threshold based on a simple rate equation model. These electrical laser characteristics are shown to be dominated by purely electrical parameters related to carrier capture/transport and carrier re-emission. The results of on-wafer measurements of the impedance of high-speed In_0.35Ga_0.65 As/GaAs multiple-quantum-well lasers are shown to be in good agreement with this simple model, allowing us to extract the effective carrier escape time and the effective carrier lifetime, and to estimate the effective carrier capture/transport time