Spatial mode dynamics in wide-aperture quantum-dot lasers

We present a systematic theoretical study of spatial mode dynamics in wide-aperture semiconductor quantum-dot lasers within the Maxwell-Bloch formalism. Our opto-electro-thermal model self-consistently captures the essential dynamical coupling between field, polarization, and carrier density in both thermal and nonthermal regimes, providing detailed description of the complex spatiotemporal modal intensity structure and spectra in these novel devices and broad area edge-emitting lasers in general. Using linear stability analysis and high resolution adaptive-grid finite element numerical simulation, we show that in the nonthermal regime, the presence of inhomogeneous broadening in quantum-dot active media leads to suppressed filamentation and enhanced spatial coherence compared to conventional quantum well devices with comparable phase-amplitude coupling (alpha parameter). Increasing the degree of inhomogeneous broadening in the active medium leads to further improvement in spatial coherence. In the thermal regime, there is further suppression of filamentation in the inhomogeneously broadened quantum-dot active medium; however, the spatial coherence aided by inhomogeneous broadening is partly lost due to the effect of temperature on cavity detuning. We propose that device designs based on optimized inhomogeneous broadening of quantum-dot gain medium could ultimately lead to diffraction-limited outputs in the quasi-cw regime which are still very difficult to achieve in conventional wide-aperture designs

Optical Bistability in Semiconductor Injection Lasers

This paper reviews optical bistability in semiconductor lasers, with particular reference to the potential switching speeds of the systems demonstrated to date. Devices which switch by redistributing a nearly constant number of carriers within the active region should be faster, though less stable, than systems whose transitions are attended by changes in carrier numbers. One system of the former type, the self-focused coupled cavity laser, is analysed in some detail and is compared with the twin stripe laser and the Fabry-Perot laser amplifier

Dynamics of traveling waves in the transverse section of a laser

We analyze the general features of the formation and interaction of transverse traveling waves and the appearance of filamentation in broad area semiconductor lasers with current profiling. For small apertures, the emitted profile is symmetric consisting of two counterpropagating transverse traveling waves, both emanating from the center of the device. For larger apertures, the emission becomes asymmetric as one of the traveling waves expands to occupy an increased area while the other occupies the remaining, smaller spatial region. In both devices, the pattern becomes unstable at higher injection currents due to optical filamentation, although an intermediate state is present in the wider device whereby the dominant wave undergoes a Hopf bifurcation before filamentation occurs

Low-frequency fluctuations in a semiconductor laser with phase conjugate feedback

We analyze the dynamics of a semiconductor laser with phase conjugate optical feedback, using numerical simulations based on rate equations for the complex amplitude of the electric field and the carrier density. From this analysis we observe the presence of low-frequency fluctuations which are similar to those observed in a semiconductor laser with conventional optical feedback. The similarities and differences between phase conjugate and conventional optical feedback are discussed, and a mechanism for the appearance of low-frequency fluctuations in a semiconductor laser with phase conjugate feedback is suggested

Two-photon absorption properties of commercial fused silica and germanosilicate glass at 264 nm

Using high-intensity femtosecond pulses at lambda=264 nm, we have measured the two-photon absorption (TPA) coefficient in three fused silica samples Suprasil, Herasil, Infrasil (Heraeus) and in 3.5 mol % Ge-doped fused silica. While in fused silica samples the TPA coefficient value is about 2x10(-11) cm/W, in germanosilicate glass it equals (42+/-3)x10(-11) cm/W. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics. (DOI: 10.1063/1.1448387

Pattern formation in the transverse section of a laser with a large Fresnel number

We experimentally investigate pattern formation in a single-wavelength long laser cavity with a large Fresnel number. Near the laser threshold, we observe a single frequency spatially periodic structure corresponding to titled waves theoretically predicted by the Maxwell-Bloch equations. We also show the presence of secondary instabilities at other wavelengths and polarization instabilities at the same wavelength for different parameter values. (S0031-9007(99)08512-9)

Asymmetric dual-loop feedback to suppress spurious tones and reduce timing jitter in self-mode-locked quantum-dash lasers emitting at 1.55 μm

We demonstrate an asymmetric dual-loop feedback method to suppress external cavity side-modes induced in self-mode-locked quantum-dash lasers with conventional single-and dual-loop feedback. In this Letter, we report optimal suppression of spurious tones by optimizing the delay in the second loop. We observed that asymmetric dual-loop feedback, with large (similar to 8x) disparity in loop lengths, gives significant suppression in external-cavity side-modes and produces flat radio frequency (RF) spectra close to the main peak with a low timing jitter, compared to single-loop feedback. Significant reduction in RF linewidth and timing jitter was produced by optimizing the delay time in the second feedback loop. Experimental results based on this feedback configuration validate predictions of recently published numerical simulations. This asymmetric dual-loop feedback scheme provides simple, efficient, and cost-effective stabilization of optoelectronic oscillators based on mode-locked lasers. (C) 2017 Optical Society of Americ

Stabilization of self-mode-locked quantum dash lasers by symmetric dual-loop optical feedback

We report experimental studies of the influence of symmetric dual-loop optical feedback on the RF linewidth and timing jitter of self-mode-locked two-section quantum dash lasers emitting at 1550 nm. Various feedback schemes were investigated and optimum levels determined for narrowest RF linewidth and low timing jitter, for single-loop and symmetric dual-loop feedback. Two symmetric dual-loop configurations, with balanced and unbalanced feedback ratios, were studied. We demonstrate that unbalanced symmetric dual loop feedback, with the inner cavity resonant and fine delay tuning of the outer loop, gives the narrowest RF linewidth and reduced timing jitter over a wide range of delay, unlike single and balanced symmetric dual-loop configurations. This configuration with feedback lengths of 80 and 140 m narrows the RF linewidth by ∼ 4–67x and ∼ 10–100x, respectively, across the widest delay range, compared to free-running. For symmetric dual-loop feedback, the influence of different power split ratios through the feedback loops was determined. Our results show that symmetric dual-loop feedback is markedly more effective than single-loop feedback in reducing RF linewidth and timing jitter, and is much less sensitive to delay phase, making this technique ideal for applications where robustness and alignment tolerance are essential

Dynamics of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback

We investigate both experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback in the low-frequency fluctuation regime. First we demonstrate that low-frequency fluctuations can be observed for both single and multimode operation of a semiconductor laser with optical feedback. The analysis of the fast dynamics associated with this low-frequency instability is well described by single-mode rate equations. In the multimode regime, fast pulsation is observed in every laser mode. In this case the fluctuations in total intensity are much smaller than those in the intensity of each individual mode, This indicates the presence of anticorrelations dynamics at high frequency between the different laser modes. (S1050-2947(99)08307-9)