Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Intrinsic gain switching in optically injected quantum dot laser lasing simultaneously from the ground and excited state

Lukasz Olejniczak, Krassimir P. Panajotov, Sebastian Wieczorek, Hugo Thienpont A, Marc Sciamanna

Published Oct 26, 2010• 21 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We analyze theoretically nonlinear dynamics of an optically injected two-mode quantum dot laser lasing simultaneously from the ground and excited states. We show that although the external optical signal is injected into the ground-state mode alone, it can lead to the generation of regular picosecond pulses and pulse packages in the intensity of the excited-state mode. Generation of regular streams of picosecond pulses is attributed to an intrinsic gain switching mechanism where the relaxation time is modulated by the oscillations in the occupation of the ground and excited energy states.

DOI
10.1364/josab.27.002416

Related papers

All-optical switching with a dual state quantum dot laser

Bogusław Tykalewicz, David Goulding, Stephen P. Hegarty +2 more

The behaviour of a dual state quantum dot laser undergoing optical injection is analysed. Depending on the injection current the free-running operation of the slave can be ground state only emission, both ground state and excited state emission or excited state emission only. Complete suppression of the excited state in the dual state lasing regime via sufficiently strong optical injection of the ground state is presented. Injection induced switching between two longitudinal modes of the ground state is also presented in the ground state only regime.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 1, 2014•1 citation

Optically induced hysteresis in a two-state quantum dot laser

Bogusław Tykalewicz, David Goulding, Stephen P. Hegarty +6 more

Quantum dot lasers can lase from the ground state only, simultaneously from both the ground and first excited states and from the excited state only. We examine the influence of optical injection at frequencies close to the ground state when the free-running operation of the device is excited state lasing only. We demonstrate the existence of an injection-induced bistability between ground state dominated emission and excited state dominated emission and the consequent hysteresis loop in the lasing output. Experimental and numerical investigations are in excellent agreement. Inhomogeneous broadening is found to be the underlying physical mechanism driving the phenomenon.

Optics Letters•Feb 26, 2016•28 citations

Power-induced lasing state switching and bistability in a two-state quantum dot laser subject to optical injection

Zaifu Jiang, Zheng-Mao Wu, Elumalai Jayaprasath +4 more

We theoretically investigate power-induced lasing state switching and bistability in a two-state quantum dot laser subject to optical injection. The simulated results show that, for a free-running two-state quantum dot laser operating at the ground state under low current, a power-induced lasing state switching between the ground state and the excited state can be achieved through introducing optical injection with a frequency (winj) close to the lasing frequency of excited state (wES). The injection power required for the state switching depends on the scanning route of injection power, i.e. there may exist state bistability for the injection power within a certain region. For forward scanning injection power, with the increase of frequency detuning (ΔΩ = winj – wES), the injection power required for the state switching shows a decreasing trend accompanied by slight fluctuations. However, for backward scanning injection power, the injection power required for the state switching exhibits obvious fluctuations with the increase of ΔΩ. The width of the hysteresis loop fluctuates with ΔΩ, and the fluctuation amplitude is increased with the increase of the injection current. Additionally, the influences of the inhomogeneous broadening factor and the electron escape rate on the bistability performances are analyzed.

Optica Applicata•Jan 1, 2020•2 citations

Complete ground state gain recovery after ultrashort double pulses in quantum dot based semiconductor optical amplifier

S. Dommers, Vasily V. Temnov, U. Woggon +4 more

Gain recovery dynamics are studied in electrically pumped quantum dot (QD) based semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) after amplification of double femtosecond laser pulses using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with heterodyne detection. The authors observe a distinct change in gain recovery in the ground state when a significant excited state population is achieved. A complete gain recovery is found when two 150fs pulses with 5ps time delay pass through the SOA in resonance to the ground state under high injection currents of 80–100mA. The obtained results open the way for ultrafast (>200GHz) operation in p-doped QD based SOAs at 1.3μm telecommunications wavelengths.

Applied Physics Letters•Jan 15, 2007•93 citations

Gain-Switched Short Pulse Generation from 1.55 µm InAs/InP/(113)B Quantum Dot Laser Modeled Using Multi-Population Rate Equations

Hilal Sultan Duranoglu Tunc, Nuran Dogru, Erkan Cengiz

For the first time the gain switching properties of an InAs-InP (113)B quantum dot laser are examined theoretically in detail to generate shorter pulses with the application of a Gaussian pulse beam to the laser excited state. The multi population rate equations considering nonlinear gain are solved by the Runge –Kutta method. The numerical results demonstrated that as the homogeneous and the inhomogeneous broadening increase, the differential gain, the gain compression factor and the threshold current of excited state decrease, while threshold current of ground state increases. It was also observed that the contribution of the excited state to gain-switched output pulses depends on not only the value of the inhomogeneous broadening but also the magnitude of the applied current. Finally it was shown that without an optical beam, output pulse has long pulse width due to ground state emission, whereas with an optical beam, narrow pulses having high peak power owing to the excited state emission are generated even though at low currents.

Mathematics•Nov 17, 2022•4 citations

Dynamic Spatiotemporal Speed Control of Ultrashort Pulses in Quantum-Dot SOAs

Edeltraud Gehrig, M. van der Poel, Jesper Mørk +2 more

We present theoretical and experimental results on the propagation of ultrashort pulses in quantum-dot (QD) laser amplifiers. The propagation time of the light pulses is controlled by the pulse itself (self-induced speed control) or by injection of a second pump pulse (external speed control). Our simulations on the basis of spatially and temporally resolved QD Maxwell-Bloch equations reveal that the excitation and relaxation dynamics induced by the propagating pulse or a pump pulse within the active charge carrier system leads to a complex gain and index dynamics that may either speed up or slow down the propagating light pulse. The physical effects allowing for the dynamic speed control could be ascribed to complex (coherent and incoherent) level dynamics leading to dynamic gain saturation and index dispersion. The dependence of the propagation time on injection current density and pulse energy is discussed. The numerical results of pulse reshaping and propagation times in the gain and absorptions regime are compared to experimental results

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics•Sep 21, 2006•19 citations
We analyze theoretically nonlinear dynamics of an optically injected two-mode quantum dot laser lasing simultaneously from the ground and excited states. We show that although the external optical signal is injected into the ground-state mode alone, it can lead to the generation of regular picosecond pulses and pulse packages in the intensity of the excited-state mode. Generation of regular streams of picosecond pulses is attributed to an intrinsic gain switching mechanism where the relaxation time is modulated by the oscillations in the occupation of the ground and excited energy states.
The behaviour of a dual state quantum dot laser undergoing optical injection is analysed. Depending on the injection current the free-running operation of the slave can be ground state only emission, both ground state and excited state emission or excited state emission only. Complete suppression of the excited state in the dual state lasing regime via sufficiently strong optical injection of the ground state is presented. Injection induced switching between two longitudinal modes of the ground state is also presented in the ground state only regime.
Quantum dot lasers can lase from the ground state only, simultaneously from both the ground and first excited states and from the excited state only. We examine the influence of optical injection at frequencies close to the ground state when the free-running operation of the device is excited state lasing only. We demonstrate the existence of an injection-induced bistability between ground state dominated emission and excited state dominated emission and the consequent hysteresis loop in the lasing output. Experimental and numerical investigations are in excellent agreement. Inhomogeneous broadening is found to be the underlying physical mechanism driving the phenomenon.
We theoretically investigate power-induced lasing state switching and bistability in a two-state quantum dot laser subject to optical injection. The simulated results show that, for a free-running two-state quantum dot laser operating at the ground state under low current, a power-induced lasing state switching between the ground state and the excited state can be achieved through introducing optical injection with a frequency (winj) close to the lasing frequency of excited state (wES). The injection power required for the state switching depends on the scanning route of injection power, i.e. there may exist state bistability for the injection power within a certain region. For forward scanning injection power, with the increase of frequency detuning (ΔΩ = winj – wES), the injection power required for the state switching shows a decreasing trend accompanied by slight fluctuations. However, for backward scanning injection power, the injection power required for the state switching exhibits obvious fluctuations with the increase of ΔΩ. The width of the hysteresis loop fluctuates with ΔΩ, and the fluctuation amplitude is increased with the increase of the injection current. Additionally, the influences of the inhomogeneous broadening factor and the electron escape rate on the bistability performances are analyzed.
Gain recovery dynamics are studied in electrically pumped quantum dot (QD) based semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) after amplification of double femtosecond laser pulses using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy with heterodyne detection. The authors observe a distinct change in gain recovery in the ground state when a significant excited state population is achieved. A complete gain recovery is found when two 150fs pulses with 5ps time delay pass through the SOA in resonance to the ground state under high injection currents of 80–100mA. The obtained results open the way for ultrafast (>200GHz) operation in p-doped QD based SOAs at 1.3μm telecommunications wavelengths.
For the first time the gain switching properties of an InAs-InP (113)B quantum dot laser are examined theoretically in detail to generate shorter pulses with the application of a Gaussian pulse beam to the laser excited state. The multi population rate equations considering nonlinear gain are solved by the Runge –Kutta method. The numerical results demonstrated that as the homogeneous and the inhomogeneous broadening increase, the differential gain, the gain compression factor and the threshold current of excited state decrease, while threshold current of ground state increases. It was also observed that the contribution of the excited state to gain-switched output pulses depends on not only the value of the inhomogeneous broadening but also the magnitude of the applied current. Finally it was shown that without an optical beam, output pulse has long pulse width due to ground state emission, whereas with an optical beam, narrow pulses having high peak power owing to the excited state emission are generated even though at low currents.
We present theoretical and experimental results on the propagation of ultrashort pulses in quantum-dot (QD) laser amplifiers. The propagation time of the light pulses is controlled by the pulse itself (self-induced speed control) or by injection of a second pump pulse (external speed control). Our simulations on the basis of spatially and temporally resolved QD Maxwell-Bloch equations reveal that the excitation and relaxation dynamics induced by the propagating pulse or a pump pulse within the active charge carrier system leads to a complex gain and index dynamics that may either speed up or slow down the propagating light pulse. The physical effects allowing for the dynamic speed control could be ascribed to complex (coherent and incoherent) level dynamics leading to dynamic gain saturation and index dispersion. The dependence of the propagation time on injection current density and pulse energy is discussed. The numerical results of pulse reshaping and propagation times in the gain and absorptions regime are compared to experimental results