Small-signal analysis of modulation characteristics in asemiconductor laser subject to strong optical injection

Injection locking of a semiconductor laser can induce major changes in the modulation characteristics of the laser. A small-signal analysis using the lumped element model shows that both the frequency and damping of the characteristic resonances of the coupled complex field and free carriers (gain medium) are modified. The detuning between the injected field and the free-running oscillating field, the amplitude of the injection field relative to the free-running field, the linewidth enhancement factor, the cavity photon and spontaneous carrier decay rates, and the field enhancement of the decay rate are all key parameters in determining the changes to the modulation characteristics. For a broad range of parameters, there is simultaneous enhancement of the modulation bandwidth and stable, locked operation. The enhancement is a cavity phenomena and does not occur in a traveling wave amplifier. It requires that the frequency of the locking field be detuned from the injection-modified frequency of the cavity resonance. This causes a resonant enhancement of the modulation sideband associated with the preferred frequency of the optical cavity. Bandwidth enhancements beyond the free-running laser limit are possible over a range of injection levels and injection frequency detunings     

注入锁定法布里-珀罗激光器的单模工作特性

使用分布式反馈(DFB)激光器对法布里-珀罗(F-P)激光器进行单模注入锁定.通过改变F-P激光器的偏置电流,DFB激光器的输出功率以及两激光器间的波长失谐量,对注入锁定F-P激光器的光谱特性、功率特性以及频率响应特性进行实验分析.找出影响注入锁定F-P激光器稳定性的因素,并测量注入锁定F-P激光器的稳定锁定区;通过优化注人条件实现F-P激光器的高边模抑制比(SMSR)输出,最高可达55 dB;通过与自由运转F-P激光器比较,发现注入锁定可以明显抑制半导体激光器在高频调制下光谱的展宽.注入锁定后F-P激光器的3 dB调制带宽接近14 GHz.实验结果表明,通过合理设计光注入条件,注入锁定技术可以明显改善F-P激光器的光谱特性以及高频响应特性,并在高速光纤通信领域中得到广泛应用.     

Hybrid injection locking of higher power CO2lasers

Frequency stabilization of a higher power CO2ring laser by locking with a stable low-power reference laser is described. Successful locking is achieved by employing a novel hybrid injection-locking technique. In the hybrid mode, the higher power laser is tuned to operate on a self-oscillation line different from that of the reference laser. Within the frequency-locking range, the self-oscillation of the locked laser is completely quenched, and only the amplified drive power of the locking laser appears. Operation of this hybrid technique relies on the line competition in the homogeneously broadened CO2medium. The hybrid technique, which is easily implemented with a simple hill-climbing servo, permits stabilized operation over a variety of laser lines. An analysis of injection locking that explicity includes the saturation of the homogeneous medium is presented. Expressions are obtained for the gain and the phase relationships within and outside the locking region. To demonstrate the potential of the hybrid injection-locking technique, a 60-W CO2laser was locked in frequency to a 0.5-W stable oscillator. The experimental data are in close agreement with theory.     

Locking range and stability of injection locked 1.54 µm InGaAsp semiconductor lasers

Measurements of the intensity of an injection locked 1.54 μm InGaAsP laser are reported. The change in intensity of the locked laser across the locking range is quite asymmetric, with a shape that agrees well with the theory of Lang. A linewidth parameter ofalpha = 6 pm 1was determined from the magnitude of the locking range. The injection locked laser was found to be unstable on the high frequency end of the locking range. The physical origin of this instability is explained in terms of a laser intensity change altering the phase of the laser field relative to that of the injected field.     

Microwave Frequency Division and Multiplication Using an Optically Injected Semiconductor Laser

Nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor lasers is applied for microwave frequency division. Optical injection is used to drive a slave laser into the dynamical period-two state. A fundamental microwave frequency and its subharmonic are generated in the power spectrum. Both frequencies will be simultaneously locked when an external microwave near either frequency is applied on the bias. In our experiment, precise microwave frequency division is demonstrated by modulating the laser at the fundamental of 18.56 GHz. A locked subharmonic at 9.28 GHz with a low phase variance of 0.007$hbox rad^2$is obtained from a 10-dBm input. A large locking range of 0.61 GHz is measured under a 4-dBm modulation. Similarly, precise frequency multiplication is demonstrated by modulating at 9.65 GHz. At an input power of$-$5 dBm, a multiplied signal at 19.30 GHz is obtained with a phase variance of 0.027$hbox rad^2$and a locking range of 0.22 GHz.     

Submillimeter wave generation through optical four-wave mixingusing injection-locked semiconductor lasers

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of submillimeter wave generation through optical four-wave mixing (FWM) in an injection-locked semiconductor laser. The probe wave introduces pump-probe difference frequency amplitude modulation (AM) and phase modulation (PM) of the slave laser injection locked to the pump wave. The AM and PM indexes of the locked laser output lightwave modulated at the submillimeter wave frequency have been calculated. The submillimeter wave power generated through this technique has also been calculated theoretically. The analysis predicts a submillimeter wave power of -3.7 dBm at 300-GHz frequency for a free-running slave laser output power of 30 mW. In the presence of amplitude modulation of the probe wave, the same modulation is transferred to the submillimeter wave. The suppression of output lightwave amplitude noise relative to the pump, probe, or free-running slave laser amplitude noise has also been estimated in this analysis. At a submillimeter wave frequency of 300 GHz and a probe power equal to the pump power, typical amplitude noise reduction occurs by 7 dB     

Optical phase modulation in an injection locked AlGaAs semiconductor laser

Optical phase modulation obtained by injecting coherent CW light into a directly frequency-modulated semiconductor laser is reported. Phase modulation at up to a 1 GHz modulation frequency has been obtained without compression for a 1.4 GHz half locking bandwidth. Phase deviation can be represented by the ratio of the original FM deviation to the locking half bandwidth. The phase deviation normalized by the frequency deviation is inversely proportional to the cutoff modulation frequency. A static phase shift of π took place with a 0.48 mA drive current change in the injection locked laser. Reduction in FM noise by means of CW light injection and FM noise accumulation in cascaded injection locked laser amplifiers are discussed, together with the optimum design for an injection locked repeater system.     

Frequency stabilization of tunable DBR laser using multiwavelengthlight injection locking technique

This paper proposes a frequency stabilization scheme for tunable three-section DBR laser diodes (3S-DBR LD) that use multiwavelength light injection locking. The oscillating wavelength of the SS-DBR LD is discretely switched between cavity modes when the injection current into DBR section is changed, and locked to one wavelength of the multiwavelength light injected from the DBR section facet under the injection locking condition. The light injection properties of the capture range and the relationships of relaxation oscillation versus input power and detuning are investigated experimentally. Injection locking on the multistate wavelength of a tunable DBR LD is performed using a two wavelength multiplexed light. As a result, we demonstrate 1 GHz capture range and more than 26 dB rejection ratio for the multiplexed injected light     

1.06μm注入锁定增益开关半导体激光器特性分析与功率放大研究

报道了1.06 m增益开关半导体激光器的详细特性分析和功率放大研究。用高频正弦信号调制中心波长1.06 m的F-P腔半导体激光器得到脉宽约为100 ps、平均功率约为20 mW,重频从500 MHz到2 GHz连续可调的稳定短脉冲激光输出。采用注入锁定改善增益开关半导体激光器的输出特性。研究和分析了调制信号的频率、功率和偏置电流的大小以及注入锁定的功率、温度对激光器输出特性的影响。将该激光器作为种子,用108 W的抽运光进行两级全光纤功率放大得到了82 W的高功率输出,光光转换效率达到76%。     

Injection locking in AlGaAs semiconductor laser

Injection locking of AlGaAs double-heterostructure (DH) lasers was studied with respect to locking bandwidth, required power, and coherence. The relation of the locking bandwidth versus the ratio of locked laser power to injected power was consistent with the classical analysis on injection locking phenomena reported by Adler [2]. The measured maximum locking bandwidth was 5.8 GHz when the locking gain was 18 dB. A maximum gain of 40 dB was observed with a 500 MHz locking bandwidth. The power increase in the injected mode agrees well with theoretical values calculated with the van der Pol equation. The interference pattern was observed between an injecting beam and a locked laser beam. Visibility was the same as that obtained by the interference between forward and backward emitted beams in an identical free-running laser. Spurious mode suppression was observed when a single-frequency optical power is injected into an RF-modulated laser. Single longitudinal mode operation was obtained at a sufficiently high injecting level.     

Injection locking characteristics of an AlGaAs semiconductor laser

Injection locking of an AlGaAs double-heterostructure laser was studied with respect to locking frequency width and locking gain. The relation of the locking bandwidth versus the ratio of locked laser to injected power was consistent with the analysis on injection locking phenomena by Adler. Measured maximum locking bandwidth was 3 GHz, when locking gain was 23 dB. The 40 dB maximum gain was observed with the 500 MHz locking bandwidth. By measuring the beat notes between two temperature-stabilized free running AlGaAs lasers, the linewidth was estimated as 10 MHz.     

Bistability and Switching Properties of Semiconductor Ring Lasers With External Optical Injection

We investigate both analytically and numerically the switching, locking and stability properties of a bistable semiconductor ring laser subject to an external optical injection. Minimum optical power required for the injected signal at certain frequency to switch the lasing direction of a bistable semiconductor ring laser from its initially lasing direction to initially nonlasing direction is determined. Locking to the injected signal and stability of the switched laser are investigated to give an area of reliable switching operation. Correspondingly, numerical simulation has been carried out to find successful switching and stable locking region with variable injection power and frequency, and is compared with the analytical results. The region obtained from simulation coincides well with the intersection of switching, locking and stable locking regions. The relation between switching speed and parameters of injected source is also studied numerically.     

Analyses of numerical and experimental results for optical signal generation using heterodyne scheme

In this paper, we have proposed a heterodyne technique to generate an optical millimeter-wave signal for ultra-wideband communication. First, we have investigated the characteristics of semiconductor lasers locked to another semiconductor under the RF modulation having many sidebands. The RF-modulated master laser is represented by a series of Bessel functions. This model is then inserted into Lang's rate equations. By numerically solving the resulting rate equations, we have determined the locked laser output characteristics as well as the RF spectrum of the beat signals. The result is that the unselected sidebands can produce undesired beat signals whose power may be comparable to that of the desired beat signal. Furthermore, their strength is affected by the injected ML light power. With reduced ML light, undesired beat signals and the injection-locking bandwidth can be suppressed. Second, we have experimented a new technique for generating millimeter-wave signals from a semiconductor laser. A 32 GHz signal is generated using a multisection semiconductor laser operated under a continuous wave by injecting optical pulses at a repetition rate equal to the fourth subharmonic (8 GHz). The generated millimeter-wave signal exhibits a large subharmonic suppression ratio, a large frequency detuning range, low levels of phase-noise and a large locking range. These simulation results are confirmed by experimental results. The high-frequency signal can be used in the field of ultra-wideband communication employing local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), wireless local loop (WLL) and mobile broadband system (MBS).     

注入锁定铜蒸气激光器中自发辐射的影响

利用铜蒸气激光动力学模型模拟了注入锁定中注入光与放大自发辐射之间的竞争过程，分析了注入锁定效果与注入功率的关系，并就如何增强注入光对噪声光的抑制作用进行了讨论。     

基于精密波长计的外腔半导体激光长期稳频系统

为抑制连续激光器的长期频率漂移,以精密波长计为参考频率标准,由计算机控制可实现连续激光无调制稳频.此方法从计算机获取波长计数据,利用数字比例积分微分(PID)计算出输出给激光器的反馈电压值,从而修正激光器腔长、实现激光器频率的锁定.此方法可用于目前商业激光器光谱范围内的任意波长,能在激光器频率可调节范围内任意频率点进行锁定.用此方法实现了对631 nm外腔半导体激光器的锁定,获得了1h频率不确定度为7.4 MHz、长期频率漂移率为±1.1 MHz/h的稳定锁定.     

Optical frequency modulation and intensity modulation suppression in a master-slave semiconductor laser system with direct modulation of the master laser

An injection-locked laser system where the master laser is directly modulated is analyzed using rate equations. Both quasi-static and dynamic analyses are carried out in order to ensure that the parameters lie inside the locking range. The analysis is valid for all injection levels. The quasi-static analysis provides a good basis for explaining the phenomena. It is shown that, for a given detuning frequency, maximum suppression of intensity modulation (IM) occurs at a specific value of the injection ratio. At low frequencies, the frequency modulation (FM) index of the slave laser bears a constant ratio to the FM index of the master laser of less than unity. It is illustrated that the direct FM scheme is only viable for modulation frequencies up to about 100 MHz. Large IM suppression can only be achieved for large values of the linewidth enhancement factor of the slave laser, small magnitude of the detuning frequency, and low injection ratio. The latter two conditions are associated with narrow limits on stable operation, and care should be taken to avoid instability.     

High power semiconductor laser injection-locking at 1.3 μm

The injection-locking properties of a high power antireflection coated 1.3-μm slave laser subjected to relatively low injection powers from a distributed feedback (DFB) laser and from a tunable external cavity laser have been investigated. Narrow linewidth operation (~40 kHz) was demonstrated and the tuning range within two slave modes (~10 GHz) and over the gain profile (~40 nm) was investigated. In addition, the tracking properties of the slave laser for both frequency and phase modulated injected light was evaluated at 1 Gb/s, in which the fidelity was judged from bit-error-rate measurements. The maximum locked power under 1 Gb/s frequency modulation was about 145 mW, limited by the available master power; approximately 300 μW was injected into the slave     

外注入锁定对FP激光器强度噪声的抑制

采用较强的外注入光锁定FP激光器,获得了理想的强度噪声抑制效果. 在自由运转的FP激光器的弛豫振荡峰处,最大噪声抑制强度可达9dB. 研究了注入光功率和频率失谐对于强度噪声抑制效果的影响. 此外,通过实验研究了理想噪声抑制范围与激光器稳定锁定范围之间的关系：它们都随着注入光功率的增加而增大;但在相同的注入光功率下,稳定锁定范围允许更大的频率失谐.     

Experimental relative frequency stabilization of a set of lasersusing optical phase-locked loops

A relative frequency stabilization technique using optical phase locking of miniature diode pumped Nd:YAG ring lasers is described. The master laser is RF phase modulated with a modulation index up to 7.4, and slave lasers are locked up to 21 master laser sidebands with a frequency stability better than 3 kHz     

Locking bandwidth asymmetry in injection-locked GaAlAs lasers

The centre of the locking frequency range of a GaAlAs laser is found to shift to longer wavelengths with increasing injected power by an amount proportional to the square root of the injected power level. These observations are in good agreement with predictions based on an analysis relating equilibrium photon and carrier densities in the laser cavity.