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

Optica Applicata

Numerical analysis of slow and fast light effect in semiconductor optical amplifier with certain facet reflection

Cui Qin, Yu Ting Jiang, Zhen Li

Published Jan 1, 2022• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, the slow and fast light (SFL) effects of the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) having certain facet reflections are theoretically investigated. The theoretical model is used to account for the SFL phenomenon causing the coherent population oscillation. The influence of the current modulation frequency, the value of the current, the linewidth enhancement factor, facet reflectivity as well as the relative phase of the modulated current on the phase delay in the SOA are studied. It is demonstrated that the SFL effect could be controlled by the modulation frequency, the value and relative phase of the current. Finally, it is shown that the magnitude of the SFL delay could be tuned by a change in the linewidth enhancement factor as well as the facet reflectivity of the SOA.

DOI
10.37190/oa220414

Related papers

Phase-controlled slow and fast light in current-modulated semiconductor optical amplifiers

M. A. Antón, F Carreño, Óscar G. Calderón +2 more

We present a theoretical study of the slow and fast light propagation in semiconductor optical amplifiers based on coherent population oscillations. By modulating the injection current to force the population oscillations we can modify the delay or advancement of light signals. Specifically, it is shown that the relative phase of the optical signal to the bias current modulations can be used as a knob for changing light propagation from delay to advancement. In addition, we analyze the effect of the modulation current for slow light in vertical cavity surface emission lasers (VCSELs) by taking into account the cavity effects. It is shown that the change of the depth of the modulation allows to tune the structural resonance, which in turn produces an enhancement of the delay.

arXiv:0903.1545•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Apr 21, 2009•8 citations

Theoretical study on fast and slow light effects in semiconductor optical amplifiers under assist light injection

Yu Jiang, Zhen Li, Cui Qin

In this paper, the fast and slow light effect of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) under assist light injection is theoretically analyzed. Coherent population oscillation (CPO) is used to induce fast and slow light effect in the theoretical model. The effects of parameters such as modulation frequency, modulation current and assist optical power on phase delay are investigated under the assist light injection. These effects are then compared with the case without assist light injection. The simulation results show that the injection of assist light can increase the phase delay of the output optical signal and enhance the slow light effect. Furthermore, when the assist light optical power is in the range of 0–15 dBm, the slow light effect is strong.

Optics Continuum•Jun 21, 2022•0 citations

Dynamic modeling of slow-light in a semiconductor optical amplifier including the effects of forced coherent population oscillations by bias current modulation

Michael J. Connelly

The slow light effect in SOAs has many applications in microwave photonics such as phase shifting and filtering. Models are needed to predict slow light in SOAs and its dependence on the bias current, optical power and modulation index. In this paper we predict the slow light characteristics of a tensile-strained SOA by using a detailed time-domain model. The model includes full band-structure based calculations of the material gain, bimolecular recombination and spontaneous emission, a carrier density rate equation and travelling wave equations for the input signal and amplified spontaneous emission. The slow light effect is caused by coherent population oscillations, whereby beating between the spectral components of an amplitude modulated lightwave causes carrier density oscillations at the beat frequency, leading to changes in the group velocity. The resulting beat signal at the SOA output after photodetection, is phase shifted relative to the SOA input beat signal. The phase shift can be adjusted by controlling the optical power and bias current. However the beat signal gain is low at low frequencies, leading to a poor beat signal output signal-to-noise ratio. If the optical input and SOA drive current are simultaneously modulated, this leads to forced population oscillations that greatly enhance the low frequency beat signal gain. The model is used to determine the improvement in gain and phase response and its dependency on the optical power, bias current and modulation index. Model predictions show good agreement with experimental trends reported in the literature.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•May 1, 2014•0 citations

Slow and fast light in quantum-well and quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

Piotr Konrad Kondratko, Akira Matsudaira, Shu‐Wei Chang +1 more

Slow and fast light in quantum-well (QW) and quantum-dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) using nonlinear quantum optical effects are presented.We demonstrate electrical and optical controls of fast light using the coherent population oscillation (CPO) and four wave mixing (FWM) in the gain regime of QW SOAs.We then consider the dependence on the wavelength and modal gain of the pump in QW SOAs.To enhance the tunable photonic delay of a single QW SOA, we explore a serial cascade of multiple amplifiers.A model for the number of QW SOAs in series with variable optical attenuation is developed and matched to the experimental data.We demonstrate the scaling law and the bandwidth control by using the serial cascade of multiple QW SOAs.Experimentally, we achieve a phase change of 160 • and a scaling factor of four at 1 GHz using the cascade of four QW SOAs.Finally, we investigate CPO and FWM slow and fast light of QD SOAs.The experiment shows that the bandwidth of the time delay as a function of the modulation frequency changes in the absorption and gain regimes due to the carrier-lifetime variation.The tunable phase shift in QD SOA is compared between the ground-and first excited-state transitions with different modal gains.

Chinese Optics Letters•Jan 1, 2008•3 citations

Slow Light Based on Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

胡苗苗 HU Miao-miao, 王肇颖 Wang Zhaoying, 杨天新 YANG Tian-xin +1 more

In the semiconductor optical amplifer,based on the theory of four wave mixing effect and refractive modulation-index generated by equivalent grating,dynamic changes of the signal light time delay with the outside controllable parameters,such as the injection current into semiconductor optical amplifier(SOA),the pump light power,the detuning frequency between pump light and signal light,were numerically simulated by the method of subsections model of SOA.Compared with the former simulation of slow light from the slow down factor view,this method has the advantage of associating the signal time delay with outside controllable parameters and providing the intuitional guidce for the experiment.Meanwhile,the method by subsections model of SOA has higher accuracy.Compared with the existing experimental results,it indicates that the numerically simulated results agree well with the measurements.

ACTA PHOTONICA SINICA•Jan 1, 2011•0 citations

Theoretical Study of the Spurious-Free Dynamic Range of a Tunable Delay Line based on Slow Light in SOA

Perrine Berger, Jérôme Bourderionnet, Mehdi Alouini +2 more

We developed a predictive model describing harmonic generation and intermodulation distortions in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). This model takes into account the variations of the saturation parameters along the propagation axis inside the SOA, and uses a rigorous expression of the gain oscillations harmonics. We derived the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of a slow light delay line based on coherent population oscillation (CPO) effects, in a frequency range covering radar applications (from 40 kHz up to 30 GHz), and for a large range of injected currents. The influence of the high order distortions in the input microwave spectrum is discussed, and in particular, an interpretation of the SFDR improvement of a Mach-Zehnder modulator by CPOs effects in a SOA is given.

arXiv:0909.0668•Optics Express•Oct 23, 2009•23 citations
In this paper, the slow and fast light (SFL) effects of the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) having certain facet reflections are theoretically investigated. The theoretical model is used to account for the SFL phenomenon causing the coherent population oscillation. The influence of the current modulation frequency, the value of the current, the linewidth enhancement factor, facet reflectivity as well as the relative phase of the modulated current on the phase delay in the SOA are studied. It is demonstrated that the SFL effect could be controlled by the modulation frequency, the value and relative phase of the current. Finally, it is shown that the magnitude of the SFL delay could be tuned by a change in the linewidth enhancement factor as well as the facet reflectivity of the SOA.
We present a theoretical study of the slow and fast light propagation in semiconductor optical amplifiers based on coherent population oscillations. By modulating the injection current to force the population oscillations we can modify the delay or advancement of light signals. Specifically, it is shown that the relative phase of the optical signal to the bias current modulations can be used as a knob for changing light propagation from delay to advancement. In addition, we analyze the effect of the modulation current for slow light in vertical cavity surface emission lasers (VCSELs) by taking into account the cavity effects. It is shown that the change of the depth of the modulation allows to tune the structural resonance, which in turn produces an enhancement of the delay.
In this paper, the fast and slow light effect of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) under assist light injection is theoretically analyzed. Coherent population oscillation (CPO) is used to induce fast and slow light effect in the theoretical model. The effects of parameters such as modulation frequency, modulation current and assist optical power on phase delay are investigated under the assist light injection. These effects are then compared with the case without assist light injection. The simulation results show that the injection of assist light can increase the phase delay of the output optical signal and enhance the slow light effect. Furthermore, when the assist light optical power is in the range of 0–15 dBm, the slow light effect is strong.
The slow light effect in SOAs has many applications in microwave photonics such as phase shifting and filtering. Models are needed to predict slow light in SOAs and its dependence on the bias current, optical power and modulation index. In this paper we predict the slow light characteristics of a tensile-strained SOA by using a detailed time-domain model. The model includes full band-structure based calculations of the material gain, bimolecular recombination and spontaneous emission, a carrier density rate equation and travelling wave equations for the input signal and amplified spontaneous emission. The slow light effect is caused by coherent population oscillations, whereby beating between the spectral components of an amplitude modulated lightwave causes carrier density oscillations at the beat frequency, leading to changes in the group velocity. The resulting beat signal at the SOA output after photodetection, is phase shifted relative to the SOA input beat signal. The phase shift can be adjusted by controlling the optical power and bias current. However the beat signal gain is low at low frequencies, leading to a poor beat signal output signal-to-noise ratio. If the optical input and SOA drive current are simultaneously modulated, this leads to forced population oscillations that greatly enhance the low frequency beat signal gain. The model is used to determine the improvement in gain and phase response and its dependency on the optical power, bias current and modulation index. Model predictions show good agreement with experimental trends reported in the literature.
Slow and fast light in quantum-well (QW) and quantum-dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) using nonlinear quantum optical effects are presented.We demonstrate electrical and optical controls of fast light using the coherent population oscillation (CPO) and four wave mixing (FWM) in the gain regime of QW SOAs.We then consider the dependence on the wavelength and modal gain of the pump in QW SOAs.To enhance the tunable photonic delay of a single QW SOA, we explore a serial cascade of multiple amplifiers.A model for the number of QW SOAs in series with variable optical attenuation is developed and matched to the experimental data.We demonstrate the scaling law and the bandwidth control by using the serial cascade of multiple QW SOAs.Experimentally, we achieve a phase change of 160 • and a scaling factor of four at 1 GHz using the cascade of four QW SOAs.Finally, we investigate CPO and FWM slow and fast light of QD SOAs.The experiment shows that the bandwidth of the time delay as a function of the modulation frequency changes in the absorption and gain regimes due to the carrier-lifetime variation.The tunable phase shift in QD SOA is compared between the ground-and first excited-state transitions with different modal gains.
In the semiconductor optical amplifer,based on the theory of four wave mixing effect and refractive modulation-index generated by equivalent grating,dynamic changes of the signal light time delay with the outside controllable parameters,such as the injection current into semiconductor optical amplifier(SOA),the pump light power,the detuning frequency between pump light and signal light,were numerically simulated by the method of subsections model of SOA.Compared with the former simulation of slow light from the slow down factor view,this method has the advantage of associating the signal time delay with outside controllable parameters and providing the intuitional guidce for the experiment.Meanwhile,the method by subsections model of SOA has higher accuracy.Compared with the existing experimental results,it indicates that the numerically simulated results agree well with the measurements.
We developed a predictive model describing harmonic generation and intermodulation distortions in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). This model takes into account the variations of the saturation parameters along the propagation axis inside the SOA, and uses a rigorous expression of the gain oscillations harmonics. We derived the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of a slow light delay line based on coherent population oscillation (CPO) effects, in a frequency range covering radar applications (from 40 kHz up to 30 GHz), and for a large range of injected currents. The influence of the high order distortions in the input microwave spectrum is discussed, and in particular, an interpretation of the SFDR improvement of a Mach-Zehnder modulator by CPOs effects in a SOA is given.