基于平行偏振光注入的1550nm波段垂直腔表面发射激光器获取窄线宽光子微波的理论和实验研究

提出一种基于1550 nm垂直腔表面发射激光器(1550 nm-VCSEL)获取高质量微波信号的全光方案.在该方案中,采用波长位于VCSEL中被抑制模式的中心波长附近、振动方向与VCSEL中主导模式相同的偏振光注入(即平行注入)1550 nm-VCSEL获取高频微波,并借助双光反馈对该高频微波的线宽进行窄化.一方面,基于VCSEL的自旋反转模型,从理论上分析了采用该方案产生微波信号的可行性;另一方面,通过构建相应的实验系统,对该方案产生的微波的特性进行初步实验研究.实验结果表明:在合适的注入条件下,1550 nm-VCSEL能够产生30 GHz左右的微波信号,但该信号的线宽较宽(百兆水平);引入双光反馈后,微波线宽可被压窄两个数量级以上,得到了线宽低于1 MHz、信噪比大于40 d B的微波信号.     

线宽增强因子对外光注入半导体激光器非线性单周期振荡特性的影响

线宽增强因子是影响半导体激光器输出特性的一个重要参量,不同材料不同结构类型的半导体激光器的线宽增强因子有较大的差异.利用光注入半导体激光器的单模速率方程模型,数值研究了线宽增强因子对外光注入半导体激光器的非线性单周期振荡特性的影响.结果表明:外光注入半导体激光器的动态特性对线宽增强因子的变化极为敏感,随着线宽增强因子的增加,在负失谐注入范围内单周期振荡区域显著增大,同时注入锁定的稳态输出被大大抑制.分析了线宽增强因子对非线性单周期振荡光谱特性和振荡频率的影响,结果表明:随着半导体激光器线宽增强因子的增大,单周期振荡的频率越大|当线宽增强因子不变时,单周期振荡的频率随注入光强度和频率失谐的增加而增加.     

Experimental Investigation on the Effect of Optical Source on Photonic Microwave Filter Performance

The filter frequency response and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) capacity of fiber Bragg grating resonator based photonic microwave filter are investigated experimentally by using two lasers with different linewidths as optical sources. The effects of optical source on the photonic microwave filter performance are analyzed. The results show that when the laser linewidth is less than the filter free spectral range (FSR), the filter response is fluctuating and the SNR capacity decreases about 10dB.     

基于光电负反馈的光注入1550nm垂直腔面发射激光器产生窄线宽微波信号

基于1 550nm垂直腔面发射激光器在平行偏振光注入下呈现的单周期非线性动力学状态,进一步引入光电负反馈,得到了高质量的微波信号.实验研究结果表明:平行偏振光注入下,通过调节注入光的注入强度及频率,1 550nm垂直腔面发射激光器可呈现注入锁定、单周期、倍周期、混沌等多种非线性动力学状态;在合适的注入参量下,平行偏振光注入1 550nm垂直腔面发射激光器可产生光谱具有单边带结构、频率超过10GHz的光子微波信号,但该微波信号的线宽较宽(达MHz量级);进一步引入光电负反馈后,通过选取合适的光电反馈强度,可将该微波信号的线宽减小至一百多kHz(减小两个量级以上);在选择优化的反馈强度条件下,仅通过简单调节注入光强度,可实现窄线宽光子微波信号的频率在一定范围内连续可调谐.     

基于次谐波调制光注入半导体激光器获取窄线宽微波信号的实验研究

实验研究了处于单周期振荡的光注入半导体激光器在频率等于单周期振荡频率一半的1/2次谐波调制下所产生的微波信号的特性.实验结果显示:在合适的注入条件下,处于单周期(P1)振荡的光注入半导体激光器可输出频率可达26.5 GHz、光谱具有单边带结构的光生微波信号,但微波信号的线宽比较宽(MHz量级);通过采用频率为单周期振荡频率一半的次谐波信号调制光注入半导体激光器,可将微波线宽从十几MHz压缩到几十k Hz.进一步分析了次谐波调制信号的功率以及频率对微波信号的相位噪声的影响,并在由次谐波调制信号的功率和频率构成的参数空间绘制出了能实现次谐波频率锁定的分布区域.     

基于光注入半导体激光器单周期振荡的光子微波产生及全光线宽窄化

本文对基于光注入半导体激光器的单周期动力学态产生光子微波并利用光反馈压缩其线宽进行了实验研究. 研究结果表明: 通过适当调节注入参数, 能对该方法产生的光子微波频率在数十GHz范围内进行连续、大范围地调节; 通过引入光反馈并精细调节反馈强度, 光子微波的线宽能够从40—100 MHz的范围被压缩约两个数量级至300—900 kHz范围;反馈长度对光子微波的线宽几乎没有影响, 但当反馈长度精细变化时, 光子微波频率会出现一定范围内的周期性漂移.     

Linewidth analysis of 40-GHz passively mode-locked multi-mode semiconductor lasers

An experimental analysis on the quality of 40-GHz radio-frequency signals generated by various passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers is addressed. The analysis is performed considering the frequency linewidth of 40-GHz optically generated signals and the number of longitudinal modes selected by the cavity of each laser under study. Four of these devices are multi-quantum wells InAlGaAs Fabry-Pérot lasers. They have been engineered to exhibit a specific number of longitudinal modes: 4, 5, 10, and 22 modes, respectively. Another device under test is a bulk distributed Bragg reflector laser exhibiting 3 lasing modes. The last device under study is a quantum-dash Fabry-Pérot laser characterized by 40 lasing modes. From our experimental results it appears that, regardless the nature of the device cavity and active media, the strength of the passively mode-locked mechanism might be enhanced with the number of longitudinal modes oscillating into the laser cavity, allowing a reduction in the frequency linewidth.     

Optical phase locking with a large and tunable frequency difference based on a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

We present a novel method to phase lock two lasers with a controllable frequency difference. A microwave frequency-modulated vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is used to phase connect two diode lasers by a two-step injection locking. The phase fluctuations of the two lasers are measured to be 6.4 x 10(-4) rad2, corresponding to 99.94% phase coherence. The frequency difference of the two lasers is tunable up to tens of gigahertz. The sideband suppression of the slave laser is more than 30 dB at 30 microW seed power. A narrow linewidth spectrum of coherent population trapping in rubidium is achieved using such beams.     

Stable high optical power in quantum well lasers with profiled reflection and tapered structures

A comprehensive model is presented to study quantum well tapered lasers and quantum well stripe lasers with profiled reflectivity output facets and to obtain lateral stability in high power semiconductor laser. Simulation of semiconductor lasers is performed by numerically solving space-dependent coupled partial differential equations for the complex optical forward and backward waves, carrier density distribution and temperature distribution. The coupled equations are solved by finite difference beam propagation method. The effect of nonlinear parameters like Kerr and linewidth enhancement factors, and precise dependence of linewidth enhancement factor and gain factor on the carrier density and temperature are considered in this paper. We use modal reflector in stripe lasers to confine the lateral mode to the stripe centre and provide the stable operation. We also use unpumped window to reduce the facet temperature and improve the catastrophic optical mirror damage level of tapered lasers.     

Ultrastable cesium atomic clock with a 9.1926-GHz regeneratively mode-locked fiber laser

We describe an ultrastable cesium (Cs) atomic clock with a 9.1926-GHz regeneratively mode-locked fiber laser obtained by use of an optically pumped Cs beam tube. By adopting a 1-m-long Cs beam tube with a linewidth of 110 Hz, we have successfully obtained frequency stabilities of 4.8 x 10(-12) for tau = 1 s and 6.3 x 10(-13) for tau = 50 s for a 9.1926-GHz microwave output signal. This Cs atomic clock can generate an optical pulse train with the same stability as that of the obtained microwave, which allows us to deliver a frequency standard optical signal throughout the world by means of optical fiber networks.     

Natural linewidth of anisotropic lasers

The natural linewidth of lasers is shown to be enhanced with respect to the value predicted by the Schawlow-Townes formula when the gain is high and inhomogeneous in transverse or longitudinal directions. A general formula for the linewidth enhancement is derived from first principles: Maxwell's equations and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, for media with arbitrary bi-anisotropy and dispersion. The result is expressed in terms of an integral of the resonating field over the cavity volume. For isotropic media (scalar and ), this formula generalizes previous results by Petermann for gain-guided lasers, by Ujihara for lasers with low reflectivity mirrors, and results obtained by other authors for lasers coupled to long external cavities. The role of non-reciprocity is discussed.     

Intersubband transitions from the second subband in a coupled quantum wells structure

Asymmetrical coupled quantum wells structures with energy separation between the first two subbands of the order of 10–50 meV are key structures in the design of optically pumped intersubband lasers. In these structures the population of the second subband is not negligible and intersubband transitions from the second to higher excited subbands can be observed. In this work we investigate the temperature dependency of the intersubband transitions from the second subband in an asymmetrical coupled quantum wells structure. We show that this approach provides a direct way to measure the energy separation between the second subband and the Fermi energy which is a crucial parameter in the design of optically pumped intersubband lasers.     

基于偏振旋转光反馈下的外光注入VCSEL产生高性能毫米波

本文提出一种基于偏振旋转光反馈下的外光注入垂直腔 表面发射激光器(VCSEL)产生高性能毫米波的方案, 并利用描述外部扰动下VCSEL动态特性的自旋反转模型(SFM), 对所产生的毫米波的特性进行了数值研究. 研究结果表明: 一个受到主VCSEL(M-VCSEL)光注入的副VCSEL(S-VCSEL)在一定条件下可以产生单周期(P1)振荡, 即在光波上调制了一个微波信号. 通过调节外光注入强度ξ_i以及S-VCSEL与M-VCSEL之间频率失谐Δν, 可以获得频率在30---60 GHz范围内连续可调的毫米波信号. 在外光注入VCSEL中引入偏振旋转光反馈, 通过选取合适的反馈强度ξ_f以及反馈延迟时间τ, 产生的毫米波信号的线宽可以得到明显窄化. 对于光注入S-VCSEL所产生的线宽为5.509 MHz的毫米波, 在引入偏振旋转光反馈后, 毫米波线宽可以降低到230.2 kHz. 本文的研究对高速光载无线(RoF)系统中优质毫米波信号的获取具有一定的参考意义.     

Crystal quartz optical whispering-gallery resonators

A quality factor exceeding 5x10(9) is obtained in whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators fabricated of crystalline quartz. We observe significant electrical tunability of WGMs in x-cut resonators and demonstrate an electro-optic modulator with a submegahertz passband at 12 GHz. We discuss other photonics applications of the crystal quartz WGM resonators in narrowband agile tunable filters, compact narrow linewidth lasers, and microwave and millimeter wave oscillators.     

色散关系和纵向耦合腔(C3)对半导体激光器的模谱行为的影响

本文从理论上探讨了色散关系的作用,引进α_e和F因数,修正了半导体激光器的光谱线宽公式,发现通过波导结构的设计不但可减小α_e因数,还可增大F因数来进一步抑制光谱线宽,用所提出的等效反射率法分析了纵向耦合腔(C³)的选模和压缩线宽的机制,指出实现单纵模窄线宽的条件。 关键词：     

Phase-locked mutually coupled 1.3 microm quantum-dot lasers

Fabry-Perot InAs quantum-dot lasers grown on GaAs substrates are mutually coupled with a delay of several nanoseconds. Stable phase-locked output with narrow linewidth is obtained when the frequency detuning between the two lasers is less than 4 GHz. This simple locking scheme could find application in a variety of photonics applications.     

On‐chip stimulated Brillouin Scattering for microwave signal processing and generation

Demonstration of continuously tunable delay, low‐noise lasers, dynamically controlled gratings, and optical phase shifting using the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) process has lead to the emergence of SBS as a promising technology for microwave photonics. On‐chip realization of SBS enables photonic integration of microwave photonic signal processing and offers significantly enhanced performance and improved efficiency. On‐chip stimulated Brillouin scattering is reviewed in the context of slow‐light based tunable delay, low‐noise narrow linewidth lasers and filtering for integrated microwave photonics. A discussion on key material and device properties, necessary to enable on‐chip Brillouin scattering using both the single‐pass and resonator geometry, is presented along with an outlook for photonic integration of microwave signal processing and generation in other platforms.     

Linewidth of SG-DBR laser and its effect on DPSK transmission

In this paper the linewidth of widely tunable SG-DBR lasers has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. We demonstrate experimentally the importance of obtaining low linewidth operation for the application of SG-DBR laser with advanced modulation format transmission. This is achieved by choosing two sets of tuning currents for an SG-DBR laser that give the same wavelength channel and good SMSR, but different linewidths. When the laser is employed in a DPSK system only the operating point (the set of drive currents used to obtain specific output characteristics) that portrays low linewidth achieves error free transmission. This work shows that although calibration of tunable lasers is normally based on achieving sufficient SMSR and output power, it will be important to consider the linewidth parameter as these lasers begin to be used in more spectrally efficient WDM systems employing advanced modulation formats. The simulation results illustrate that the operating points which achieve narrow linewidth are correlated with those that exhibit low threshold current. This finding may be used for calibration of SG-DBR lasers to achieve minimum linewidth at each operating wavelength.     

Frequency stabilization of blue extended cavity diode lasers by external cavity optical feedback

Optical feedback from a high-finesse V-resonator, developed for this study, results in efficient coupling with an extended cavity diode laser, stabilizing its emission frequency and strongly decreasing the laser linewidth. This in turn enhances resonator output power, thus increasing the signal-to-noise ratio when used for the detection of gas phase species by absorption spectroscopy. This effect was directly measured by heterodyning two extended cavity diode lasers at a wavelength of 409 nm with and without the influence of optical feedback from a high-finesse V-resonator. The heterodyne signal of freely running lasers is composed of a set of sharp peaks whose envelope shows a width on the order of 4.5 MHz at a sweep rate of 80 MHz/0.8 s, leading to a laser linewidth of 3 MHz. Optical feedback from the high-finesse V-resonator reduces the heterodyne signal to a single peak with a mean width of 10 kHz, leading to a laser linewidth of 7 kHz. This is the lowest value of linewidth, reported thus far, for diode lasers operating in this wavelength region.     

Optically pumped far infrared lasers

The far-infrared (FIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum is commonly thought of as the wavelength region ≈ 30μm-≈2 mm. Thus, the FIR wavelength region is located between the more familiar areas of microwaves and optics. Primarily due to the lack of FIR sources and detectors, the FIR region is difficult to access and therefore relatively unexplored and unused. The FIR source problem is presently under attack from neighbouring disciplines; from the microwave side by extending the frequency operating range of classical electron tube oscillators (e.g. backward wave oscillators) and semiconductor devices (e.g. IMPATT and quantum well oscillators) and from the optical side primarily by optically pumped molecular gas lasers.The FIR technology evolution accelerated in the mid 60's with the discovery of the discharge pumped hydrogen cyanide laser, lasing at a handful of lines located at about 330μm wavelength. However, the most important step towards a useful coherent FIR source was the discovery of the optically pumped FIR laser in 1970. In optically pumped FIR lasers a molecular gas (e.g. methyl fluoride methyl alcohol, formic acid) is pumped by an external laser, usually a carbon dioxide laser. The FIR laser transitions typically takes place between adjacent rotational levels in an excited vibrational state. Today, optically pumped FIR lasers cover the full FIR region by more than one thousand discrete laser lines observed in hundreds of FIR laser media. FIR output powers on the order of 1–100 mW are available from a vast number of laser transitions.Despite the rapid development of semiconductor FIR oscillators the optically pumped FIR laser is still the only practical unit that bridge the full frequency-gap between microwaves and optics. The fact that FIR lasers are considered as local oscillators in space born applications, indicate that FIR laser technology has matured considerably.This survey paper discusses optically pumped FIR lasers from the engineer's point of view: principles of operation, design and characteristics.