Analysis of optical chaos synchronization in frequency-detunedexternal-cavity VCSELs

We have studied the performance of a master-slave configuration for effecting the synchronization of detuned chaotic VCSELs by means of numerical simulations. The VCSELs are optically coupled and their dynamics are examined using a traveling wave model which is valid for any feedback regime. It is shown that the proposed configuration is capable of achieving synchronization for a wide range of detuning frequencies. However, synchronization is only possible if the differential phase change in the external cavity is equal to (or very close to) an integer number of π     

GHz Bandwidth Message Transmission Using Chaotic Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

Chaotic message encoding and decoding in unidirectionally coupled vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with polarization-preserved and polarization-selected optical injection has been studied experimentally. A GHz message has been successfully encoded in the chaotic transmitter and decoded from the receiver with polarization-preserved optical injection. In contrast decoding using polarization-selected optical injection was achieved at only 330 MHz. It has also been demonstrated that GHz message extraction can be achieved using both normal and inverse chaos synchronization thus providing an opportunity for exploiting polarization properties of VCSELs for duplexed chaotic message transmission.     

光反馈垂直腔面发射半导体激光器的混沌驱动同步在保密通信中的应用

基于光反馈垂直腔面发射半导体激光器(VCSELs)混沌驱动同步,提出了一种光反馈VCSELs混沌保密通信系统。通过模拟信号和数字信号在该系统的混沌保密通信的实现,验证了该系统的可行性。进一步利用该方案实现了对文字和数字图像的保密通信,并对解密图像及原始图像灰度值的差值做了相关计算。数值模拟结果说明该通信方案具有良好的解密效果。     

信道串扰对多信道混沌通信系统的影响

为了研究多信道全光混沌通信系统中信道串扰对系统同步及解码性能的影响,构建了基于垂直腔面发射激光器的多信道混沌通信系统模型.通过利用描述其特性的数率方程模型,采用相似指数作为参考标准来评价同步性能,并进行了2.5Gbit/s混沌掩藏方式的编解码数值模拟.结果表明,相对注入强度越小,信道间隔越大,系统同步的性能越好;双信道系统的同步质量相比主从式单信道系统会有明显下降,而进一步增加信道数量,同步品质并不发生显著改变.在同步质量足够高时,信号可以得到较好的恢复.     

信道串扰对多信道混沌通信的影响

构建了基于垂直腔面发射激光器(VCSELs)的多信道全光混沌通信系统模型,通过描述其特性的数率方程,研究了信道串扰对系统混沌同步及解码性能的影响。在数值模拟中,使用一个改进型的参数——相似指数作为参考标准来评价同步性能。结果表明,相对注入强度越小,信道间隔越大,系统同步的性能越好;双信道系统的同步质量相比主从式单信道系统会有明显下降,而进一步增加信道数量,同步品质并不发生显著改变。以2.5Gb/s伪随机数字调制下的混沌掩藏方式为例,分析了不同信道条件下系统解码性能。在同步质量足够高时,信号可以得到较好的恢复。     

Investigation of polarization properties of VCSELs subject to optical feedback from an extremely short external cavity-part I: theoretical analysis

A two modes rate equation model for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) subject to optical feedback from an extremely short external cavity (ESEC) is presented. By making use of it we develop a map of bistability to investigate the parametric dependence of polarization properties of VCSELs in such configuration, finding out a periodic dependence of the polarization switching (PS) currents on the ESEC length. By increasing the external mirror reflectivity we can make this periodic dependence stronger and strongly asymmetric providing the possibility to prevent PS for any injection current achieving polarization stabilization in VCSELs. Further numerical simulations with isotropic and non isotropic feedback show how parameters as the compression coefficients, the frequency splitting between the linearly polarized (LP) modes, the differential gain and the top mirror reflection coefficient, affect the map of bistability.     

单向耦合VCSEL偏振模的同步与编码

为了研究单向耦合垂直腔面发射激光器系统的混沌动力学及其在通信中的应用,采用数值仿真的方法,理论研究了两个单向耦合的垂直腔面发射激光器偏振模的同步特性,并通过对发射激光器偏振态相位的调制实现了该系统的编码。结果表明,主激光器和从激光器相应模式间可以获得高性能的同步,而且存在两个明显的同步区域——完全同步和注入锁定同步。加载的数字信息也可以在从激光器每个偏振分量中还原,这表明可以利用单模或多横模垂直腔面发射激光器进行多信道混沌通信。     

Spectral characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with external optical feedback

The measurement of the effects of external optical feedback on the spectra of VCSELs (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) is reported. It is surprising that VCSELs have a sensitivity to optical feedback comparable to that of conventional edge-emitting lasers such as DFBs despite their significantly different structures. This is because the extremely short cavity length of VCSELs negates the effects of their highly reflective output mirrors. As in edge-emitting lasers, VCSELs exhibit well-defined regimes of feedback effects in their spectra. Since optical isolators cannot be easily applied to VCSELs due to their array structure, these lasers may be most useful in applications which are not sensitive to the spectral qualities of the light source.<>     

Polarization Control of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers by Utilizing Surface Plasmon Resonance

We demonstrate polarization control of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) to any desired directions by utilizing surface plasmon resonance at a metal nanohole array. A silver nanohole array is integrated on the p-type distributed Bragg reflector of an 850-nm AlGaAs-GaAs-based VCSEL. The metal nanohole array placed at rectangular lattices with orthogonally different two periods, one of which meets the resonaint condition, exhibits strong polarization preference in optical transmission. Integrated four VCSELs with different directions of the rectangular arrays of nanoholes demonstrate successful control of the polarization angles. The VCSELs are closely located onto a one chip so that the optical outputs are easily coupled to one optical fiber. The presented VCSEL array will open a new horizon of multi-input multi-output communication systems by using polarization multiplexing.     

Recent Advances of VCSEL Photonics

A vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) was invented 30 years ago. A lot of unique features can be expected, such as low-power consumption, wafer-level testing, small packaging capability, and so on. The market of VCSELs has been growing up rapidly in recent years, and they are now key devices in local area networks using multimode optical fibers. Also, long wavelength VCSELs are currently attracting much interest for use in single-mode fiber metropolitan area and wide area network applications. In addition, a VCSEL-based disruptive technology enables various consumer applications such as a laser mouse and laser printers. In this paper, the recent advance of VCSEL photonics will be reviewed, which include the wavelength extension of single-mode VCSELs and their wavelength integration/control. Also, this paper explores the potential and challenges for new functions of VCSELs toward optical signal processing     

椭圆偏振光注入下VCSELs的偏振开关特性研究

本文基于自旋反转模型,理论研究了椭圆偏振光注入下垂直腔面发射激光器(VCSELs)的偏振开关特性。研究结果表明:在X偏振模占主导的VCSELs中,采用椭圆偏振光注入时,随着注入偏转角度θ的增大,VCSELs发生偏振开关所需的最小注入系数(ηin min)值将呈现减小的趋势;当注入偏转角度θ值固定时,随着注入光与VCSELs中心频率之间的频率失谐量从负值变化到正值,ηin min值总体呈现出先减小后增大的趋势,而ηin min的极小值出现在了注入光的频率靠近VCSELs的Y偏振模频率的附近。因此,改变注入偏转角度及注入频率失谐量均可以实现对VCSELs的偏振开关的有效调控。     

Thermal resistance evaluation of high-speed VCSELs: an isothermaloptical transient technique

A new method for the estimation of the overall thermal resistance of high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is presented. The method is based on an isothermal optical transient (IOT) approach heavily relying on the following two basic features: 1) the high-speed VCSELs have an optical-electrical transient response much faster than their thermal response, and 2) each operating point, defined by the driving current, the emitted optical power, and the internal temperature of the VCSEL is unique. As a proof of concept, the IOT procedure has been simulated using accurate VCSEL models. These simulations have clearly demonstrated the potential of the IOT method to achieve accurate estimates of the overall thermal resistance of VCSELs     

Reliability assessment of 1.55-μm vertical cavity surface emitting lasers with tunnel junction using high-temperature aging tests

In this paper, the long-term reliability of all monolithic 1.55-μm etched-mesa vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with tunnel junction is investigated via high-temperature storage tests and accelerated life tests. Characteristic variations depend on the operating conditions are examined via the threshold current, the optical output power, and the dark current. The median device lifetime is extrapolated and the activation energy of the VCSELs is calculated based on the reliability testing results. In addition, the degradation mechanism of the tested VCSELs is analyzed using the correlation between the current-voltage characteristics (I-V) and the device lifetime. From these results, the long-term reliability of the VCSEL test structures for high-speed optical communication systems can be determined and the device parameters, such as dark current, can be used as a monitoring factor for estimating reliability of the VCSELs.     

外光反馈下VCSELs噪声灵敏性的理论研究

从速率方程出发，仿真得到VCSELs在不同腔体结构、自发辐射因子和线宽限制因子情况下，相对强度噪声随外光反馈水平的变化规律。结果表明：减小电流孔径或线宽增强因子可以降低VCSELs对外光反馈的灵敏性，改变自发辐射因子对此影响不大。而传统边发射激光器不属于微腔结构，对外光反馈的抑制能力较弱。     

自发辐射因子对外光反馈下VCSELs非线性行为的影响

利用构建在SIMULLNK平台下垂直腔面发射激光器(VCSELs)动态仿真模型,研究了自发辐射因子对多次外光反馈下VCSEs非线性行为的影响。结果表明,随外腔长(外腔反射率)增加,VCSELs顺次(逆次)经历混沌、多周期、倍周期和单周期区域：进一步得出,增大自发辐射因子可抑制系统的非线性行为,提高器件稳定性。     

VCSEL tolerance to optical feedback

It is demonstrated that optical feedback in singlemode VCSELs only induces a reasonable power penalty when the modulation speed is below the resonance frequency, thus enabling low-cost implementation for VCSELs without optical isolators.     

Polarization selection and sensitivity of external cavityvertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes

A theoretical analysis has been undertaken of the polarization properties of birefringent vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) subject to weak optical feedback in an external cavity configuration. Attention is focussed on the competition between two orthogonal polarizations of the fundamental (LP₀₁) transverse mode of the device. It is shown that control of the emission polarization can be exercised even for very small external reflectivities (10^-4%) by appropriate choice of optical feedback delays. The polarization selectivity is shown to be dependent upon the strength of optical feedback. Polarization is also shown to be highly sensitive to small changes in optical feedback delay. Thermally induced wavelength shift is shown to affect polarization behaviour     

Numerical investigation of self-heating effects of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

We present a comprehensive numerical model to simulate self-heating effects of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) under continuous-wave operation. The model self-consistently accounts for the close interaction between optical, electrical, and thermal processes in VCSELs. In particular, hot carriers and nonequilibrium optical phonons in the quantum wells are modeled by solving a carrier energy balance equation and an optical phonon rate equation. Our numerical simulations reveal that they are responsible for aggravated thermal rollovers in VCSELs' L-I characteristics. Detailed comparisons are made and good agreement is obtained between simulations and experiments for the L-I-V and lasing wavelength characteristics of VCSELs with varying oxide aperture size. Various mechanisms that result in the L-I thermal rollover behavior are also investigated with the aid of simulations.     

A comprehensive model for the modal dynamics of vertical-cavitysurface-emitting lasers

We present a quasi-3-D dynamic model of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The interdependent processes of carrier transport, heat generation and dissipation, and optical fields are solved self-consistently for each point in time and space. An effective index model is adopted for the evaluation of the optical fields in the complex layer structure. The inclusion of a temperature- and carrier-density-dependent refractive index, and its time dependence, allows us to study the evolution of the transverse optical field distributions under dynamic conditions. The model is applied to a typical index-guided structure with a 7-μm oxide aperture. A direct comparison is made using "cold" cavity modes, which is a normal technique when modeling the dynamics of VCSELs. Significant discrepancies are demonstrated both at smalland large-signal modulation, which indicates the need of a more sophisticated model for accurately predicting and understanding the geometry-dependent modal evolution     

Dynamic coherence measurements of index- and gain-guided VCSELs

Coherence properties of several different types of VCSELs are examined with constant and modulated injection current with a bandwidth typical of that used in telecommunications. Large signal modulation of index-guided single transverse-mode VCSELs is found to reduce the coherence length by more than a factor of ten relative to the direct current configuration. Multiple transverse-mode index-guided VCSELs have similar coherence lengths when operated dc and modulated, and shorter than that of the single transverse-mode VCSELs. Gain-guided multiple transverse-mode VCSELs also have shorter coherence lengths than single transverse-mode VCSELs and under modulation can have coherence lengths as low as 0.5 cm.