Second-order distributed feedback polymer laser based on holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal grating

We report on the fabrication and characterization of a second-order distributed feedback (DFB) polymer laser based on a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) transmission grating. The fine organic grating is fabricated on top of the homogeneous conjugated polymer layer in a one-step process. The device shows surface-emitting, single mode laser emission with a threshold of 13.3 μJ/cm², and the working characteristics merely degrade after 10 months of storage in ambient atmosphere. We further explain the dependence of threshold on pumping length, and demonstrate the small refractive index modulation of this all-organic grating is sufficient to maintain efficient DFB laser action. This simple working structure, combined with large processing area provided by the holographic polymerization technique, is extremely promising in realizing ultra-low cost plastic lasers.     

基于液晶/聚合物光栅选频的高效率有机半导体激光器

报道了一种基于液晶/聚合物光栅选频的高效率有机半导体激光器的制备方法。首先在一片玻璃基板上旋涂有机半导体荧光薄膜MEH-PPV作为增益介质,然后在其上通过光场中的定域光聚合制备液晶/聚合物光栅,形成分布式反馈(DFB)有机半导体激光器。激光出射阈值0.32μJ/pulse,斜率转化效率高达7.8%,呈现良好的s偏振特性。采集了激光束的光斑,轮廓清晰,呈现扇形结构。通过改变光栅周期,实现了53.4nm激光出射范围。本工作为新型有机激光器的制备提供了有益的指导和借鉴意义。     

Criterion of external feedback sensitivity in index-coupled andgain-coupled DFB semiconductor lasers to be free from excess intensitynoise

Sensitivities of index-coupled as well as gain-coupled DFB semiconductor lasers to external optical feedback are theoretically investigated in this work. The conditions of getting free operation from excess intensity noise in these two types of DFB lasers are obtained. It is found that the sensitivity of external feedback for these two types of DFB laser depends significantly on the structure such as the internal grating, the facet reflection, and the phase relation between the grating and the facet. The condition of making a DFB laser less sensitive to external optical feedback is to adjust the lasing wavelength to the Bragg wavelength in both index-coupled and gain-coupled structures. A phase-adjusting mechanism such as the λ/4 shift region in the index-coupled structure is effective to avoid the external feedback     

Continuously tunable organic solid-state DFB laser utilizing molecular reorientation in molecular glasses

We report a facile way for continuously tuning the lasing wavelength of an organic thin-film distributed feedback (DFB) laser after device fabrication by varying the effective refractive index seen by the one-dimension DFB laser structure. Varying the effective refractive indices of the organic gain medium and thus the effective refractive index of a one-dimension DFB laser structure after device fabrication is made possible with reorientation of molecules in a molecular glass at elevated temperatures. Distributions of molecular orientations can be fine controlled by annealing temperatures and times, permitting continuous tuning of optical properties and lasing wavelengths. Molecular reorientation can be conducted after devices are made, thus giving one the freedom to set or tune the lasing wavelength to meet a particular purpose with a common structure.     

Analysis of optical-injected distributed feedback lasers using complex optical low-coherence reflectometry

A theoretical and experimental investigation of reflectograms obtained for a distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser using a phase-controlled high-resolution optical low-coherence reflectometer was carried out, yielding the effective group refractive index and its variation above threshold, the cavity internal loss, as well as the grating coupling factor of a multiquantum-well DFB laser. In addition, direct measurements of the injection-induced complex-modal index changes are presented for the first time.     

Feedback sensitivity and coherence collapse threshold of semiconductor DFB lasers with complex structures

A general method for evaluating the feedback sensitivity of semiconductor lasers is proposed based on Green's functions approach. The rate equations derived in this paper generalize works already published to any type of laser cavities such as those with axially varying parameters. The variation of the lasing frequency occurring under external optical feedback is then used to predict the coherence collapse threshold. The approach is validated for conventional DFB lasers by comparing the calculated feedback sensitivity with those obtained from analytical expressions. Both feedback sensitivity and coherence collapse thresholds are then calculated and analyzed for DFB lasers with a chirped grating. A remarkable agreement on the critical feedback level between simulations and measurements is obtained for all the lasers under study.     

温度变化对光纤光栅外腔半导体激光器激射波长的影响

在考虑了光纤光栅的位相后，从光纤光栅外腔半导体激光器(FGESL)所满足的阈值条件出发，从理论上研究了温度的变化对FGESL激射波长的影响。数值模拟的结果表明：由于温度变化造成半导体介质和光纤的折射率发生变化从而导致FGESL的纵模发生移动，因此FGESL的激射波长随着温度的升高将存在向长波长方向发生移动的趋势。对于短外腔，FGESL的纵模间距较大，由于半导体介质折射率隧温度的变化程度大于光纤折射率随温度的变化程度，因而存在模式跳跃现象；对于长外腔，由于FGESL的纵模间隔很小，因而不存在明显的模式跳跃现象。这些结果符合其他研究者的实验观测。     

Semiconductor 1.55 μm laser source with gigabit/secondintegrated electroabsorptive modulator

A 1.55 μm laser source with low chirp and high speed can be achieved when a single-mode DFB laser is modulated by an integrated quantum-confined Stark effect electroabsorptive modulator. The dynamic characteristics of such a device are simulated by a time domain, large signal dynamic model. The simulation demonstrates that the frequency chirp has two components: 1) changes of the refractive index induced by variation of the absorption coefficient during the modulation and 2) changes in the lasing frequency caused by changes in the effective residual facet reflection as the external modulator is switched on and off. Optimization by choice of the operating wavelength and coupling coefficient in the lasing section is discussed     

基于氮化镓的通信波段可调DFB激光器的研究

为了利用悬空的周期可调光栅控制激光器的波长输出,采用了微机电系统技术中微驱动器与分布反馈激光器光栅相结合的结构,根据严格耦合波理论和介质平板波导理论,针对光通信的C波段,利用有限元软件COMSOL,建立了基于氮化镓的波长可调分布反馈激光器2维稳态模型。分析了1550nm处2维电场模式图以及激射波长线宽图,得到了激射波长与光栅周期的对应关系。结果表明,在光栅厚度、高度以及增益层厚度等结构参量一定的情况下,激射波长与光栅周期呈现与理论分析基本一致的似线性关系。该研究为该器件设计以及制备的后期工作开展提供了理论指导意义。     

Longitudinal spatial instability in symmetric semiconductor lasersdue to spatial hole burning

A novel type of longitudinal instability due to spatial hole burning in symmetric semiconductor laser structures (DFB lasers in particular) is examined analytically and numerically. It is shown that, at a certain output power, the gain and refractive index spatial distributions of the lasing mode become unstable. Above this output power, the modal gains and oscillation frequencies change drastically, which often causes multimode operation. A measure of the cavity stability is introduced and derived analytically for a Fabry-Perot and a single phase-shifted DFB laser. Results from numerical simulations of a multiple phase-shifted DFB laser are presented     

Longitudinal mode competition in chirped grating distributedfeedback lasers

Gain competition often inhibits the simultaneous lasing of multiple longitudinal modes in homogeneously broadened laser systems. A stability analysis is developed to demonstrate that the two lowest order degenerate longitudinal modes in an index-coupled distributed feedback (DFB) laser will lase simultaneously when the index grating is chirped asymmetrically along the axis of the device. This chirped grating structure is shown to decrease the gain competition by reducing the spatial overlap between the degenerate modes. Stable mode beating between the two lowest order lasing modes results, and this beating produces high-frequency output self-pulsations which can be used for millimeter-wave and soliton pulse train generation. An exact closed-form expression for the output intensity of an antisymmetrically chirped index-coupled DFB laser, as a function of the unsaturated gain, is also derived. The expression is valid for arbitrary levels of gain saturation     

Longitudinal mode behaviors of 1.5 µm range GaInAsP/InP distributed feedback lasers

Longitudinal mode behaviors of asymmetric structure distributed feedback buried heterostructure (DFB-BH) lasers are examined theoretically and experimentally. A 1.5 μm range GaInAsP/InP DFB-BH laser was fabricated by a three-step LPE growth process. We measured the stopband in the spectrum of the DFB laser. It was found that no resonance mode emission occurred in the gain spectrum and its spectrum was asymmetric with respect to the Bragg wavelength. Most of the lasing power concentrated on the DFB mode adjacent to the stop-band which was determined by the Bragg condition. The measured spectrum was explained by the calculated results of the coupled wave theory with external reflectors. The asymmetric spectrum was caused by the relative position of the cleaved facet on the corrugation grating. It was shown that the asymmetric structure DFB laser, which consisted of two end facets with different reflection coefficients, gives a stable single longitudinal mode. There was no mode jump up to 2.3 times threshold. At a modulation depth of 100 percent, the ratio of the highest nonlasing mode intensity to the lasing DFB mode was estimated to be -16.0 dB.     

Monolithic DWDM source with precise channel spacing

We report a low-cost manufacturing approach for fabricating monolithic multi-wavelength sources for dense wavelength division multiplexing(DWDM)systems that offers high yield and eliminates crystal regrowth and selective area epitaxy steps that are essential in traditional fabrication methods.The source integrates an array of distributed feedback(DFB)lasers with a passive coupler and semiconductor optical amplifier(SOA).Ridge waveguide lasers with sampled Bragg side wall gratings have been integrated using quantum well intermixing to achieve a fully functional four-channel DWDM source with 0.8 nm wavelength spacing and residual errors<0.13 nm.The output power from the SOA is>10 mW per channel making the source suitable for use in passive optical networks(PONs).We have also investigated using multisection phase-shifted sampled gratings to both increase the effective grating coupling coefficient and precisely control the channel lasing wavelength spacing.An 8-channel DFB laser array with 100 GHz channel spacing was demonstrated using a sampled grating with twoπ-phase-shifted sections in each sampling period.The entire array was fabricated by only a single step of electron beam lithography.     

Complex-Coupled DFB Laser Using a Buried SiO2 Grating

In this letter, we report a distributed feedback (DFB) laser having a dielectric grating formed by SiO and InP to explore both the large refractive index difference and the partial gain coupling. Epitaxy lateral overgrowth by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition is conducted to grow the top p-type InP waveguide layer in the dielectric grating template. An index coupling coefficient of about 250 cm is estimated on the laser vertical waveguide structure. The insulating nature of the dielectric grating also partially blocks the injection current flow and modulates the optical gain of the active quantum-well region underneath it. A prototype DFB laser was fabricated and showed a stable single-mode operation with a sidemode suppression ratio larger than 47 dB measured at room temperature and continuous-wave operation. The technology developed can also be used for other applications that require high efficiency grating structures.     

Effects of structural parameters on the external optical feedbacksensitivity in DFB semiconductor lasers

External optical feedback sensitivity in distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers is analyzed with special attention to phase-shifted and complex-coupled lasers. The effects of various structural parameters such as coupling strength, facet reflectivity, and corrugation phase angle on external optical feedback sensitivity are studied. The λ/4 phase-shifted index-coupled DFB laser exhibits low external optical feedback sensitivity for large index-coupling coefficient and high facet reflectivity. Pure gain-coupled DFB lasers perform better than the phase-shiftless uniform index-coupled DFB lasers but worse than λ/4 phase-shifted index-coupled lasers with high coupling strengths. External optical feedback sensitivity of complex-coupled lasers depends significantly on the index-to-gain coupling ratio, the phase between the index and gain gratings, and the total coupling     

External feedback sensitivity of partly gain-coupled DFBsemiconductor lasers

External optical feedback sensitivity of partly gain-coupled DFB semiconductor lasers has been analyzed in above threshold operation regime. Both the longitudinal spatial hole burning and the nonlinear gain compression have been taken into account. A comparison has been made among λ/4-shifted, pure index-coupled and partly gain-coupled DFB laser diodes. Even though pure index-coupled and partly gain coupled DFB lasers exhibit similar sensitivity to external optical feedback at the threshold, however, gain grating can reduce the feedback sensitivity when the lasers operate well above the threshold specially when the κL parameter is high     

Optically‐Pumped Lasing in Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Light‐Emitting Diodes

Here, the use of metal oxide layers both for charge transport and injection into an emissive semiconducting polymer and also for the control of the in‐plane waveguided optical modes in light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) is reported. The high refractive index of zinc oxide is used to confine these modes away from the absorbing electrodes, and include a nano‐imprinted grating in the polymer layer to introduce distributed feedback and enhance optical out‐coupling. These structures show a large increase in the luminescence efficiency over conventional devices, with photoluminescence efficiency increased by up to 45%. Furthermore, optically‐pumped lasing in hybrid oxide polymer LEDs is demonstrated. A tuneable lasing emission is also obtained in a single device structure by employing a graduated thickness of a zinc oxide inter‐layer. This demonstrates the scope for using such architectures to improve the external efficiency of organic semiconductor LEDs, and opens new possibilities for the realization of polymer injection lasers.     

窄线宽半导体激光器件

分布反馈半导体激光器的线宽一般较大,难以满足光纤传感等领域的要求。根据C.H. Henry于1982年提出的半导体激光器的线宽理论,通过适当设计DFB半导体激光器的腔长、耦合系数、微分增益、光限制因子,能有效地减小激光器的线宽。同时,空间烧孔现象也可限制DFB半导体激光器的线宽,为此需要合理设计光栅结构。在此基础上,DFB激光器的线宽能达到几十千赫兹的量级。此外,采用DBR结构或者外腔结构,也可以获得相当窄的线宽。     

Dual-Wavelength DFB Fiber Laser Based on Unequalized Phase Shifts

A novel structure for dual-wavelength distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. This structure is based on a uniform fiber Bragg grating with two unequalized phase shifts, which markedly suppress the mode competition of the two lasing wavelengths; and then a 52-pm-spaced dual-wavelength DFB fiber laser operating at single-longitudinal-mode and single-polarization is achieved at room temperature. A simple method is also implemented to fabricate the phase shifts with high precision     

一种新颖的自反馈光注入单频窄线宽光纤激光器

报道一种基于自反馈光注入的单频窄线宽光纤激光器。激光器采用线形腔结构,用高掺杂Er3+光纤作为增益介质,利用输出信号光分束反馈与腔内振荡激光干涉,形成折射率光栅与增益光栅共同作用选择纵模,获得稳定的1 549.85 nm单频窄线宽激光输出。在975 nm单模激光二极管(LD)抽运下,激光器的抽运阈值光功率为13 mW。当抽运光功率为112 mW时,最大输出信号光功率为30.6 mW,对应的光-光转换效率为27.3%,斜率效率为30.2%,信噪比大于50 dB。采用延时自外差方法测量线宽,当使用30 km单模光纤延迟线时,测量得到激光器的3 dB线宽为4.0 kHz。