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     

注入锁定光纤环形腔激光器实验研究

利用注入锁定技术,将中心频率稳定、窄线宽的DFBLD作为主激光器,将光纤环形腔激光器作为从激光器。在实现注入锁定后,利用光纤环形腔谐振特性,在效压窄了注入光线宽。得到了中心频率稳定,较之DFBLD线宽更窄的输出激光,目前线宽已被压窄到70kHz。     

基于片上微腔自反馈注入锁定的窄线宽激光器

对半导体激光器外腔自反馈注入锁定进行了理论分析,研究了片上微腔的自反馈注入锁定对于分布反馈(DFB)激光器输出线宽的影响,分析了决定锁定带宽及线宽压缩系数的关键参数。基于Q值为2.4×10⁶的片上Si₃N₄微腔的后向瑞利散射实现了DFB激光器的自反馈注入锁定,将其输出线宽由自由运转时的556.71 kHz压窄到了92.28 kHz,锁定带宽达到425 MHz。研究结果有助于理解半导体激光器自反馈注入锁定机理,并为实现窄线宽激光器提供了新的结构更简单、集成化潜力更高的方案。     

DFB半导体激光器自注入锁定失稳因素分析

分布反馈(Distributed Feedback, DFB)半导体激光器具有体积小、成本低和工艺成熟等优势,但兆赫兹量级的线宽使其应用范围受限。采用环形谐振器对其进行自注入锁定,可将线宽压窄到千赫兹量级,但仍存在锁定不稳定的问题。文章采用四只不同的环形谐振器对DFB半导体激光器进行自注入锁定,通过实验监测自注入锁定时多个端口的光功率、偏振态和光波长的变化,揭示影响DFB半导体激光器自注入锁定稳定性的因素有谐振模式跳变、偏振态跳变,以及外界温度和振动引起的锁定环路的相位变化,且使用不同类型的环形谐振器进行锁定时,主导的影响因素不同。控制这些影响因素可以改善DFB半导体激光器自注入锁定的稳定性,使DFB半导体激光器自注入锁定技术有更好的应用效果。     

An Ultralow Noise and Narrow Linewidth λ/4-Shifted DFB Er-Doped Fiber Laser With a Ring Cavity Configuration

We report a polarization-maintaining lambda/4-shifted distributed feedback (DFB) Er-doped fiber laser with a ring cavity configuration. The ring cavity suppressed the self-pulsation of the stand-alone Er-doped DFB fiber laser. The laser with a 57-m-long ring cavity achieved single-longitudinal-mode operation, a linewidth as narrow as 6 kHz, and relaxation-oscillation-free noise characteristics.     

Chirp reduction of directly modulated semiconductor lasers at 10Gb/s by strong CW light injection

The influence of strong light injection on the reduction of the dynamical linewidth broadening of directly current-modulated semiconductor lasers at high bit rates is theoretically investigated and experimentally verified for 10 Gb/s NRZ pseudorandom modulation with a large current swing of 40 mA pp. Significant chirp reduction and single-mode operation are observed for bulk DFB, quantum well DFB lasers at 10 Gb/s and a weakly coupled bulk DFB laser at 8 Gb/s, so that an improvement of the transmission performance using standard monomode fibers in the 1.55 μm low-loss wavelength region can be achieved for all these laser types, where dispersion otherwise causes severe penalties for long-haul transmission. The properties of injection-locked bulk DFB and quantum well DFB lasers with respect to high bit rate modulation have been systematically studied by the use of the rate equation formalism. A dynamically stable locking range of more than 30 GHz under modulation has been found for both laser types with injection ratios higher than 0.5     

Experiments on modulation properties and optical feedback characteristics of laser diodes stabilized by an external cavity or injection locking

In the wavelength range near 1.3-μm, single-mode operation of laser diodes is achieved by means of an external cavity and injection locking. The influence of digital modulation and optical feedback from a directly taper-coupled fiber is investigated. Lasers stabilized by injection locking showed excellent side-mode suppression at CW-operation but strong side modes when the laser was modulated. The frequency of the main mode is neither affected by modulation nor by optical feedback from the fiber. On the contrary the laser stabilized by an external cavity exhibited good side-mode suppression even when it was modulated. However, the frequency stability of the main mode was influenced severely by optical feedback and modulation. A transmission experiment over 21 km at a bit rate of 2.24 Gbit/s showed that this simple stabilization method is sufficient for applications in optical wide-band IM-PCM transmission systems.     

Dual-Wavelength DFB Fiber Laser Based on a Chirped Structure and the Equivalent Phase Shift Method

A chirped phase-shifted structure is demonstrated for compact multiwavelength distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser at room temperature for the first time. The chirped structure provides separated resonance cavities and then the stable multiwavelength operation. The equivalent phase shift method is demonstrated to realize the desired chirp and phase shifts simply and flexibly. A 44-pm-spaced dual-wavelength DFB fiber laser is then achieved experimentally, which is the narrowest spacing ever reported for a compact multiwavelength fiber laser.     

1064-nm DFB laser diode modules applicable to seeder for pulse-on-demand fiber laser systems

Semiconductor DFB (Distributed feedback) laser diodes with an operating wavelength of 1064 nm, which is suitable for pulse-on-demand fiber laser, have been developed. The stable performance of CW and nanosecond/picosecond pulsed operation is reviewed. By applying gain-switching operation with a simple direct modulation technique, 50-ps pulse generation with a stable spectral single-mode property was obtained. For the efficient amplification of the obtained 50-ps pulse, a monolithic semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) was integrated into the DFB lasers. An improved peak power of 300 mW at 50-ps pulse was observed with limited optical noise injection when the synchronous modulation technique of the DFB and the SOA was employed. Short cavity lasers showed a high-frequency response compared to the original DFB lasers and achieved a short pulse width of 13 ps by standard gain-switched operation.     

50-Channel 100-GHz-Spaced Multiwavelength Fiber Lasers With Single-Frequency and Single-Polarization Operation

We demonstrate single-polarization operation of a distributed Fabry–PÉrot multiwavelength fiber laser by adding an external cavity with polarization-dependent feedback. We show that the laser lines retain single-frequency operation with the additional benefit of reduced linewidth. The laser source covers the full $C$-band with 100-GHz channel spacing.      

Static and dynamic properties of injection-locked semiconductorlasers

The static and dynamic properties of injection-locked semiconductor lasers considering the influence of nonlinear gain are presented systematically. Depending on locking conditions, the modulation bandwidth of a semiconductor laser may be increased or decreased by external light injection. However, the relaxation resonance frequency and the damping rate as defined for a solitary Fabry-Perot (FP) laser are always enhanced by injection locking. That is, contrary to that in a solitary FP laser, the modulation bandwidth in an injection-locked laser is not determined solely by the relaxation resonance frequency, because an injection-locked laser is a third-order system. Therefore, a new definition of the modulation bandwidth is presented for such a laser. The performances of injection-locked distributed feedback (DFB) lasers are also discussed. The theory is in good agreement with the experiments     

Experimental determination of gain compression factors of a DFBlaser in the presence of TM light injection

Compared to direct current modulation, an optical modulation scheme of laser diodes exhibits no rolling off characteristics due to the electrical parasitics existing in the laser diodes. In particular, in the TM light injection scheme, no injection locking phenomena take place. A number of applications of TM light injection have been reported. In relation to these, determining the gain compression factors of laser diodes in the presence of TM light injection is essential. A new technique for determining these factors is presented. The technique is shown to be viable for measuring the gain compression of distributed feedback (DFB) lasers     

977-nm all-fiber DFB laser

Three-level operation of a fiber distributed feedback (DFB) laser operating around 980 nm is demonstrated for the first time. The ytterbium-doped DFB laser shows a maximum slope efficiency of 61% and output power of 38.2 mW under a launched single-mode pump power of 150 mW at 910 nm. The efficiency of lasers with different coupling strengths and at different pump wavelengths is also investigated.     

Nonlinear injection locking dynamics and the onset of coherencecollapse in external cavity lasers

A theoretical analysis is presented of the experimentally observed collapse of coherence in semiconductor lasers exposed to moderate optical feedback. A main point in the analysis is, that coherence collapse in the delayed-feedback (DFB) system shows up as bistability in a much simpler model which corresponds to an injection locking system. Based on this, the authors derive a simple analytical expression, valid for DFB as well as Fabry-Perot lasers, for the critical feedback level at which coherence collapse sets in. Simulations of the nonlinear injection locking model reveal the presence of complicated nonlinear dynamics with period-doubling bifurcations and coexisting attractors even inside what is normally denoted the stable locking range     

Single-polarization generation in fiber Fabry-Perot laser byself-injection locking in short feedback cavity

Single-frequency and single-polarization lasing can be generated in a compact self-injection locked fiber Fabry-Perot laser with a short fiber Bragg grating feedback cavity. No discrete polarization control components are required. Different wavelengths actress the laser gain bandwidth can be generated by an appropriate combination of cavity designs and feedback fiber Bragg gratings. A 10-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero transmission test demonstrates the laser's applicability for optical fiber communications     

Generation of a CW Local Oscillator Signal Using a Stabilized Injection Locked Semiconductor Laser

We explore the technique of injection locking a semiconductor laser with a portion of the received optical signal to regenerate a local oscillator for eventual use with a homodyne receiver. In addition, we show that the injection locking process can be electronically stabilized by using the Modulation Transfer Ratio (MTR) of the slave laser as a monitor, given either a DFB or Fabry-Perot slave laser. We show that this stabilization technique maintains injection lock (given a locking range of ~1 GHz) for laser drift much greater than what is expected in a typical transmission system. In addition, we explore the quality of the output of the slave laser, and analyze its suitability as a local oscillator signal for a homodyne receiver.     

低掺杂铒纤上分布反馈布拉格光纤激光器的制作

采用准分子激光器成功地在低掺杂普通铒纤上制作出5 cm的光纤光栅分布反馈布拉格(DFB)激光器,铒纤的峰值吸收率为5 dB/m,在100 mW,980 nm抽运光条件下,光纤激光器的输出功率为50μW,边模抑制比为50 dB。使用耦合模理论分析了一段5 cm带相移的分布反馈布拉格光纤激光器输出光强同腔内损耗及相移量的关系,计算结果表明,光纤腔内的损耗对激光器的输出具有非常重要的影响,大的损耗对应获得最大功率的光栅耦合强度相应减小,因此,在低掺杂铒纤上制作分布反馈布拉格激光器必须正确估计光纤激光器的腔内损耗,选择合适的光栅耦合强度,可以获得较大的输出功率。     

基于CPM-FBG的单频窄线宽DFB光纤激光器

利用电弧放电对光纤Bragg光栅(FBG)折射率的调制作用,提出了基于折射率周期调制(CPM)FBG的单频窄线宽分布反馈(DFB)光纤激光器方案。建立了CPM-FBG的数学模型并进行了仿真,验证了CPM-FBG的相移光栅特性;在掺铒光纤(EDF)上制作出CPM-FBG,形成了DFB单频窄线宽光纤激光器,激光器阈值功率为25.4mW,3dB线宽为805Hz,边摸抑制比大于48.8dB。     

External Optical Feedback Induced Noise in DFB Fiber Laser Sensor System

External optical feedback effects due to reflection, Rayleigh backscattering and coherent Rayleigh backseattering in fiber distributed feedback （DFB） fiber laser sensor system have been investigated. If the feedback intensity exceeds critical amount, excess noise would be induced in the demodulator. The maximum tolerable intensity back-reflection coefficient Rc and backscattering coefficient Sc into a fiber DFB laser with lead fiber length from I m to 37.5 km before the onset of instabilities are shown. Rc is found to decrease with increasing lead fiber length while Sc was relatively invariable with varying fiber length. The coherent Rayleigh backscattering （CRBS） would induce neglectable noise with a lead fiber exceeding 13.5 kin. To eliminate these noises, one or two isolators should be incorporated in the system.     

Computer simulation of laser photon fluctuations: DFB lasers

This fourth paper of the Series is devoted to photon fluctuations in the light output of distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. Statistics on laser photon fluctuations are collected from numerical solutions of noise driven rate equations. The approximate formula for the variance of the photon fluctuations, presented earlier [1], is also applicable to the DFB laser. Compared to the single-cavity injection laser, the DFB laser has the following features. 1) The order of magnitude of the photon fluctuations of the single lasing mode of a DFB laser is comparable to the fluctuations of the total power output of a single-cavity laser. 2) Contrary to single-cavity lasers, which cannot be made to Operate in a single longitudinal mode even under idealized conditions if they are driven by short current pulses, DFB lasers will readily deliver a single, pulsed mode. Thus, if thermal effects and backreflection of scattered light can be controlled, there will be no mode jumping during pulsed operation.