Cavity resonance shift and bandwidth enhancement in semiconductor lasers with strong light injection

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 39; no. 10; pp. 1196 - 1204
• Main Authors: Murakami, A., Kawashima, K., Atsuki, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.10.2003; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Bandwidth; Carriers; Equations; Exact sciences and technology; Fluctuations; Frequency; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Holes; Interference; Interference suppression; Laser optical systems: design and operation; Laser theory; Lasers; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Optical refraction; Optics; Physics; Relaxation oscillations; Relaxation oscillations and long pulse operation; Resonance; Semiconductor lasers; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; Stability analysis; Studies; Optical injection; Semiconductor lasers; Rate equation; Theoretical study; Relaxation oscillation; Injection locking; Laser cavity resonators
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/JQE.2003.817583

We theoretically investigated the physical mechanism of significant bandwidth enhancement in injection-locked semiconductor lasers with strong light injection. Strong light injection can increase the semiconductor laser bandwidth to several times the free-running relaxation oscillation bandwidth. We focused on the fact that an injection-locked semiconductor laser can operate at an optical frequency different from its cavity resonance condition. Resonance is shifted from solitary resonance through the carrier-induced refractive-index change due to strong optical injection. We then framed a theory in which the enhanced resonance can be generated by transient interference between the injection-locked field and the field corresponding to the shifted cavity resonance. To examine the theory, we numerically investigated the rate equations and found that the numerical and theoretical results agree well over a wide range for strong injection. A stability analysis for the rate equations revealed that there is a mode transition from relaxation oscillation to interference-induced oscillation with increased injection, and the relaxation oscillation can become suppressed for higher injection levels. We believed that negligibly small fluctuations of the carrier suppressed the relaxation oscillation and examined it numerically. We also predict that, at strong injection levels, semiconductor lasers can be lower-dimensional systems because of the possibility of adiabatic elimination of the carrier. We further conclude that such low-dimensional systems can generate a high-frequency interference beat in the laser cavity and the resultant enhanced resonance.