Noise properties of semiconductor lasers due to optical feedback

It has been recognized for some time that reflections back into the cavity of an injection laser from a mechanically unstable external mirror cause noise in the output of the laser (reflection noise). In this paper, noise measurements are presented for index-guided lasers as functions of the output power, the degree of optical isolation and external cavity length (5-15 cm), while current modulation (using 2-4 mA at 50-200 MHz) has been used to reduce the noise levels by as much as 20 dB. It is demonstrated that the mechanism of noise reduction by modulation is the frequency modulation of the laser's spectrum and its interaction with the modes of the external cavity. It is shown that using an optical isolator can give a relative intensity noise of -110 dB while using modulation in addition can reduce this to -125 dB; the bandwidth performance of optical storage systems is discussed in terms of these two schemes.     

Miniature Nd:YAG lasers: noise and modulation characteristics

The frequency and intensity noise spectra, as well as the frequency modulation (FM) response, of 1320-nm laser-diode-pumped miniature Nd:YAG ring lasers have been measured. The frequency noise spectrum has a resonance peak at the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser (between 123 and 150 kHz) and is flat beyond 200 kHz with a spectral density of 613 rad²-Hz, much smaller than that of semiconductor lasers; the corresponding laser linewidth is less than 49 Hz. The relative intensity noise is -140 dB/Hz at the valley and has a resonance peak at the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser. The FM response is flat from DC to 110 kHz and is in the 0.65-3 MHz/V range; the modulation frequency is limited by the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser     

基于激光外调制的频率可调谐光电振荡器

为了实现光电振荡器(OEO)输出频率的可调谐,提出了一种基于外调制激光的频率可调谐光电振荡器。此方案在单环OEO的基础上增加一个由微波滤波器、电衰减器、电放大器和电移相器构成的电增益选频腔,通过调节电移相器的偏置电压可以等效改变电选频腔的腔长,从而改变其输出微波信号的频率;同时调节光延时线来改变光电振荡器的起振模式,通过电增益选频腔信号与光电振荡器自由振荡信号的电注入锁定,即可实现频率可调谐的光电振荡器,其输出信号的频率由锁定OEO模式的电增益选频腔决定。实验结果表明,本方案产生了频率调谐范围为10.05 GHz~10.09 GHz、调谐步长为400 kHz的输出信号,频率在40 MHz的范围内连续可调谐。在输出频率为10.0519 GHz时,其边模抑制比为60 dB,相位噪声为-115 dBc/Hz @10 kHz。该方案结构简单,既保留了单环OEO低相位噪声的优势,又能有效抑制边模,为实现频率可调谐OEO提供了一种新的方法。     

Chaos control and noise suppression in external-cavitysemiconductor lasers

Feedback-induced chaos and intensity noise enhancement in a laser diode with external optical feedback are studied by computer simulations. The enhancement of relative intensity noise (RIN) that is often observed in experiments is considered as a result of the feedback-induced deterministic chaos and the intensity noise suppression is treated from the viewpoint of chaos control. Especially, the conventional noise suppressing technique known as a high-frequency injection modulation is turned into a problem of stabilizing chaos through parameter modulations. We developed an analytical method which allows to optimize the modulation frequency from the linear stability analysis of the dynamical model that describes the laser diode with external feedback. The robustness of the modulation with respect to the modulation frequency and depth is verified and the results suggest the feasibility of applying our method to actual noise suppression. The RIN in the low-frequency region (up to 100 MHz) is shown to be reduced to the solitary laser level when the feedback-induced chaos is effectively controlled with the optimized modulation frequency     

Feedback-induced noise in index-guided semiconductor lasers and its reduction by modulation

We report a reduction in feedback noise of 15?20 dB by direct modulation of the laser with a 2?5 mA modulation current. The reduction is almost independent of modulation frequency in the frequency range from 50 MHz to 200 MHz, but depends on the external cavity length. The external cavity lengths considered are 5?15 cm.     

Microwave self-modulation of a diode laser coupled to an external cavity

An external cavity coupled to a conventional Fabry-Perot GaAs diode laser operating continuously has been found to cause modulation of the light output at a frequency within the range 0.5 to several GHz. The modulation depth is close to 100 percent and the linewidth can be made as narrow as 180 kHz. The modulation is thought to be stimulated by the intensity noise fluctuations, which peak at the well-known spiking frequency fr. The oscillations are strongly enhanced by a frequency locking action of the external cavity, being efficient when the external cavity round-trip time2L/c, or a multiple thereof, corresponds to the inverse of the spiking frequency. Since the latter is dependent on both pump current and temperature, the system can simply be tuned by adjusting the pump current. For a fixed resonator length, the narrow-band oscillations occur in a small current range, in which an increase in frequency with increasing current at a rate of 400 kHz/mA is observed. A small-signal analysis based on simple rate equations shows the influence of the external cavity on the intrinsic resonance frequency fr. It demonstrates that self-modulation can only occur for small values of the coupling coefficient ε between the laser diode and the external cavity.     

High frequency current mode oscillator employing fTintegration technique

A low distortion high frequency oscillator is described, which is a development of the recently proposed f_T-integrator, in which an amplitude control circuit is embedded inside the integrator. Simulation results suggest that, for the oscillation range 1-2.6 GHz, the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the output current signal is well below 0.5% for the output current level at 50% modulation depth (peak-to-peak). The phase noise of the oscillator is simulated to be -72 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset for 1% THD output current     

Current fluctuations caused by frequency variations in Gunn diodes

Measurements have been made of the current modulation of a Gunn diode by external frequency modulation. The current modulation varied between 10?6 and 10?3 A/MHz for various cavity conditions. This is smaller than the current noise observed by Faulkner and Meade. It is concluded that the current noise observed in their experiments was not caused simply by the frequency fluctuation.     

一种跨导线性化低相噪压控振荡器

介绍了一种跨导线性化的宽带压控振荡器,由谐振腔电路、偏置电路、可编程电容阵列组成。提出一种通过电容隔直将有源器件进行交叉耦合的谐振腔结构,实现了有源器件的跨导线性化,大幅减小了有源器件自身的固有噪声,改善了压控振荡器的相位噪声特性。通过可编程电容阵列电路,可在压控振荡器内进行频率调节,扩展了振荡频率范围。测试结果表明,压控振荡器的振荡频率覆盖5 400~7 300 MHz,频率覆盖比达26%,在7 300 MHz时,相位噪声达到-128 dBc/Hz@1 MHz。该压控振荡器可作为高性能频率合成器的核心器件,构成本振信号源,可被广泛应用于无线基站、频谱监测等多种领域。     

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.     

非平面环形腔激光器的强度噪声及其抑制

采用全量子理论对单块非平面环形腔Nd:YAG激光器的强度噪声特性进行了研究,通过理论分析和仿真发现,单块非平面环形腔激光器的弛豫振荡主要由真空起伏、偶极起伏和内腔损耗引起,抽运噪声和自发辐射对弛豫振荡的影响相对较小。同时,从理论上对强度噪声的光电负反馈抑制进行了分析和仿真,为实验上噪声抑制电路的设计提供了一定的理论基础。参考此理论电路,设计了可以获得较好的相位超前和低噪声宽带宽增益放大的噪声抑制电路,在实验上获得了良好的噪声抑制效果。当弛豫振荡峰为311kHz时,弛豫振荡峰处的强度噪声被抑制了39dB,在整个频谱范围内获得了低于-115dB/Hz的噪声水平。     

Injection modulation in coupled laser oscillators

Injection modulation is the effect observed when laser oscillation is perturbed by an injected signal below the threshold of locking. In this regime the oscillation becomes a wave modulated in frequency as well as in amplitude. The modulation envelope has a characteristic waveform which depends on the amplitude and phase of the injected signal. Starting from the Lamb's equations for a dual-mode oscillator, we develop a theory of the injection modulation and calculate the waveforms in amplitude and frequency. The treatment applies both to the external injection into a laser and to the case of mutual coupling between two modes. Experimental results for a dual mode He-Ne laser are found to be in good agreement with the theory. It is pointed out how the injection modulation effects are appreciable even at very weak levels of injected amplitudes, e.g., down to 10^-5with respect to the oscillation field amplitude.     

利用模清洁器降低单频Nd∶YVO_4激光器的强度噪声

对全固化激光器输出激光的强度噪声谱进行了理论分析与实验测定 ,设计了由三镜环行腔构成的模清洁器 ,利用它过滤高频噪声的特性使单频Nd∶YVO4 激光器的强度噪声降低 ,通过模清洁器之前激光在 30MHz才能达到散粒噪声极限 ,通过模清洁器之后在 7MHz处便达到散粒噪声基准。设计中兼顾了窄线宽与透过效率两方面要求 ,模清洁器的透过效率为 70 %。     

利用模清洁器降低单频Nd:YVO4激光器的强度噪声

对全固化激光器输出激光的强度噪声谱进行了理论分析与实验测定,设计了由三镜环行腔构成的模清洁器,利用它过滤高频噪声的特性使单频Nd:YVO4激光器的强度噪声降低,通过模清洁器之前激光在30MHz才能达到散粒噪声极限,通过模清洁器之后在7MHz处便达到散粒噪声基准。设计中兼顾了窄线宽与透过效率两方面要求,模清洁器的透过效率为70%。     

Single-mode operation of 1.3 µm InGaAsP/InP buried crescent lasers using a short external optical cavity

Highly single longitudinal mode operation of 1.3 μm InGaAsP/InP buried crescent lasers has been obtained using a60-600 mum long external cavity defined by a spherical mirror. The intensity of the neighboring modes was suppressed by a factor of 1200 for dc excitation and by a factor of 800 for combined dc and 250 MHz current modulation.     

6 GHz direct frequency modulation of cleaved-coupled-cavity channeled-substrate buried-heterostructure lasers

The measured intensity modulation (IM) and frequency modulation (FM) characteristics of single-cavity channeled-substrate buried-heterostructure (CSBH) lasers and cleaved-coupled-cavity (C³) CSBH lasers are described. If the bias is well above threshold, the lasers have -3 dB IM bandwidths of approximately 800 MHz. In contrast, the FM response rolls off less rapidly, and efficient FM operation up to 6 GHz is possible. The IM and FM responses of C³CSBH lasers are similar to single-cavity CSBH lasers provided the modulated cavity is above threshold. If the modulated cavity is below threshold, the FM response of the C³laser is larger but rolls off rapidly for modulation frequencies above 200 MHz.     

Nonlinear dynamics of a laser diode with optical feedback systemssubject to modulation

The nonlinear dynamic behavior of a direct frequency-modulated diode laser with strong optical feedback is examined and compared to a laser diode subject to electro-optically modulated, strong optical feedback. Direct modulation is achieved by sinusoidal modulation of the diode laser injection current. Electro-optic modulation is achieved by applying a sinusoidal voltage to an intracavity phase modulating element. The output state (characterized by the output power versus time, the intensity noise spectrum and the optical frequency spectrum) for both types of modulation is dependent on the ratio of the modulation frequency to the external cavity resonant frequency, and the modulation power. A number of distinct states are observed: conventional amplitude modulation (with FM spectra); multimode, low-noise amplitude modulation; multimode, high-noise amplitude modulation; periodic limit-cycle operation; quasi-periodicity; chaos; low-frequency fluctuations; and mode-locking. There are significant differences between the direct and electro-optic frequency-modulation cases. The onset of the dynamic instability is characterized as a noisy period-one oscillation for direct modulation and a low-frequency fluctuation for intracavity electro-optic modulation. Phase portraits produced experimentally with the use of a digital phosphor oscilloscope are shown to agree well with those constructed from output power versus time data. This represents an experimental method for examining the dynamics phase portraits in real-time     

Theory of noise in semiconductor lasers in the presence of optical feedback

We derive analytical expressions for the power spectral densities of intensity and frequency noise of single mode semiconductor lasers in the presence of an optical feedback. By explicitly taking into account the spontaneous emission processes into the laser mode, we obtain a behavior which, at high frequencies significantly differs from the usual one, and is in good agreement with recent experimental results. In particular, we are able to show in which way the intensity and frequency noise, besides being influenced by the external cavity length, are affected by the presence of the well known resonant peaks in the noise spectra of the solitary laser and how a substantial lowering and flattening in the noise spectra can be obtained with external cavity round trip times shorter than the inverse of the peak resonant frequency. We also present experimental results in good agreement with the theoretical ones.     

Noise property of a quadrature balanced VCO

A quadrature balanced voltage controlled oscillator (B-VCO) with current source switching is proposed and analyzed. This letter shows analytically that the switching improves the phase noise. A switched transistor is also used as a coupling transistor to generate quadrature signals without degrading the phase noise. To investigate the effect of quadrature coupling on the phase noise, a single B-VCO and a quadrature B-VCO are implemented with identical components in an 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process. Both VCO cores draw about 8.8mA under a low bias voltage of 1.8V. The oscillation frequencies are 10.21GHz and 10.81GHz. The measured phase noises of the single at an offset frequency of 1MHz VCO is -114.83 dBc/Hz while that of the quadrature VCO is -116.67 dBc/Hz. The quadrature B-VCO is superior to the single B-VCO with respect to phase noise and oscillation frequency in the X-band.     

高性能小数频率合成器的研究与设计

小数频率合成技术是实现高分辨率低噪声频率合成器的重要技术手段之一。在分析研究小数频率合成的基本原理及其杂散抑制技术方法上,基于通用灵活的设计思想,采用FPGA集成技术设计了一种基于-Δ调制技术的高性能小数分频器,利用该分频器实现的频率合成器,频率范围800~1 200 MHz,频率分辨率达到nHz量级,偏离主频10 kHz处单边带相位噪声优于-105 dBc/Hz,应用于某高纯微波合成信号发生器中,获得了令人满意的效果。