Static and dynamic analysis of side-mode suppression of widely tunable sampled grating DBR (SG-DBR) lasers

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 282; no. 1; pp. 81 - 87
• Main Authors: Shi, Kai, Yu, Yonglin, Zhang, Ruikang, Liu, Wen, Barry, Liam P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Dependence of gain on wavelength; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser optical systems: design and operation; Lasers; Modulation, tuning, and mode locking; Optics; Physics; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; Side-mode suppression; Tunable lasers; Wavelength switching; Dependence of gain on wavelength; Wavelength switching; Tunable lasers; Side-mode suppression; Distributed Bragg reflector lasers; Theoretical study; Bragg reflection; Optical gain; Algorithms; Semiconductor lasers; Distributed Bragg reflection; Rate equation; Transfer matrix method
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2008.09.069

Side-mode suppression is an important issue for widely tunable laser design and applications. In this paper, we have developed a relatively simple algorithm to analyze side-mode suppression of widely tunable sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector (SG-DBR) lasers by using the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) in combination with multimode rate equations. The dependence of gain spectrum on wavelength is also included in this model, and its effects on tuning characteristics of the devices are investigated for the first time. Static tuning characteristics and dynamic behaviors of wavelength switching are simulated. Results agree well with the experimental results reported.