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Nonlinear Optics

Observation of Dynamic Frequency Chirp in Bistable Semiconductor Laser Amplifiers

Zeqi Pan, M. Dagenais

Published Jan 1, 1992• 0 citations

Abstract

Dispersive optical bistability in a Fabry-Perot, a distributed feedback (DFB), or a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), semiconductor laser amplifier has recently attracted much attention, because of its potential in the operation of highly functional optical devices. While the steady-state operation of bistable diode laser amplifiers are well understood, studies of the dynamic properties have been limited to switching time, critical slowing down and output spiking measurements[1-3]. Little attention has been paid to the dynamic frequency chirp which is associated with the turn-on spike at the onset of light injection. Such frequency chirp exists because in dispersive bistability the Fabry-Perot resonance (or the DBR/DFB transmission peak) sweeps through the injected wavelength as a result of alight induced refractive index change. In this paper, we report on a theoretical analysis and the first experimental observation of this dynamic chirp in a Fabry-Perot type nonlinear semiconductor laser amplifier. It is found that the magnitude of the chirp depends on the input power, which in turn is related to critical slowing down.

DOI: 10.1364/nlo.1992.we6

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We investigate the bistable response of a traveling-wave semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) connected bidirectionally to a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode. By contrast to dispersive DFB amplifiers, bistability is possible for a broad wavelength range of the injected optical signal. A theoretical analysis clarifies the origin of the phenomenon and the conditions under which it occurs. Numerical simulations and experimental results confirm the theoretical analysis. Experimentally obtained step heights up to 25 dB and widths of the bistability domain of 1-4 dB have been found

Bistable laser amplifiers are attractive for potential application in optical switching because of very low input optical requirement, high extinction ratio and the presence of optical gain. Optical bistability (OB) arises from gain saturation and the associated nonlinear refraction combined with the effect of feedback in the laser cavity. We present the experimental results of bistable characteristics for the case of a 1.55 /spl mu/m symmetric Fabry-Perot (F-P) laser amplifier with uncoated facets. This paper reports a particularly rich variety of behaviour for reflected signals. Three main forms of hysteresis loops are observed on reflection. The hysteresis loop changes from anticlockwise to clockwise hysteresis in the optical input-output characteristic when the drive current or initial phase detuning is changed. The butterfly hysteresis loop is observed experimentally at optical input power as low as 260 /spl mu/W for a drive current equal to 90% of the lasing threshold. The dependence of the optical bistability on drive current, initial phase detuning and injected optical power has been investigated. In the bistable light output-initial phase detuning characteristic, the optimum frequency is shifted downward with an increase in the injected power or the drive current. All measurements are in good agreement with an analytical model.

We demonstrate optically bistable (light switching light) operation in a room-temperature InGaAsP Fabry-Perot amplifier. The amplifier is an InGaAsP/InP laser structure biased at ~95% of its lasing threshold. It is switched with <3 μW of optical power provided by the mechanically chopped output of a quasi-single-mode InGaAsP/InP laser. The experimental apparatus is depicted in Fig, 1. A change in the refractive Index in the amplifier of only 5 × 10−4 is sufficient to cause switching. Input and output pulses from the nonlinear amplifier are shown in Fig. 2 when the source frequency is initially detuned by 14 GHz from the closest Fabry-Perot mode of the amplifier. Smaller switching powers are required at lesser detunings. The physical mechanism of the intensity-dependent change of the refractive index is thought to be the change in carrier density resulting from stimulated recombination of free carriers.