Directly modulated lasers in negative dispersion fiber links

In the paper the impact of frequency chirp of directly modulated lasers is considered in context of high-speed data transmission over negative dispersion fiber. Chirp/dispersion induced signal distortions are described, and detailed investigations of their influence on 10 Gb/s transmission system performance are presented. The desired laser chirp characteristics and optimal driving conditions are determined. It is also demonstrated that directly modulated laser with low chirp offers similar or even better dispersion tolerance than unchirped (externally modulated) source. Experimental verification of described investigations is presented at the end.     

Experimental and Theoretical Study of High Temperature-Stability and Low-Chirp 1.55 µm Semiconductor Laser with an External Fiber Grating

An experimental and theoretical study of the effect of temperature on the static and dynamic characteristics of packaged external fiber grating semiconductor lasers (FGL) is reported on. Operating in single frequency mode, the laser exhibits high output power (> 8 mW), high temperature stability of operating frequency (-3.4 GHz/K), and low static chirp (-60 MHz/mA). The observed hysteresis in wavelength versus temperature dependence is explained in the frame of a time-domain FGL model accounting for asymmetric nonlinear gain. The laser has low dynamic chirp (~16 MHz/mA) under 2.5 GB/s direct modulation, which is the key factor determining low penalty transmission over 312 km of SSM fiber. Dense WDM transmission performed at 2.6 Gbit/s over 117 km of SSM fiber shows that an FGL-based transmitter is a factor of 7 more tolerant to temperature variations than externally modulated DFB lasers.     

Dynamic analysis of directly modulated Fabry–Perot laser diodes using time-domain modeling with random noise fluctuations

Based on time-domain laser modeling, we have systematically evaluated multi-mode excitation and mode competition in directly modulated Fabry–Perot laser diodes biased with different current levels. In our simulation, random noise fluctuations depending on the bias current are included since they play an important role in determining the number of lasing modes. Multi-mode excitation and mode competition occurred at the biased current below the threshold current can be explained with the aid of frequency chirp at turn-on and gain difference in between '0' and '1' bits. The positive frequency chirp (25 GHz for lasers biased below the threshold current and 15 GHz for lasers biased above the threshold current) affects to enhance the probability of multi-mode excitation in low-frequency region during turn-on delay.     

Optical microwave generation using two parallel DFB lasers integrated with Y-branch waveguide coupler

A new device of two parallel distributed feedback (DFB) lasers integrated monolithically with Y-branch waveguide coupler was fabricated by means of quantum well intermixing. Optical microwave signal was generated in the Y-branch waveguide coupler through frequency beating of the two laser modes coming from two DFB laser in parallel, which had a small difference in frequency. Continuous rapid tuning of optical microwave signal from 13 to 42GHz were realized by adjusting independently the driving currents injected into the two DFB lasers.     

基于DFB激光器的光学微波信号的产生

采用量子阱混杂的材料集成技术制备并联分布反馈激光器和Y形波导耦合器集成的新型光电器件.两个并联分布反馈激光器的激射模式在频率上稍有差别,这两束不同频率的激光在Y形波导耦合器拍频产生光学微波信号.分别独立调节注入到两个激光器的电流大小,可以得到从13 GHz到42 GHz连续可调的光学微波信号. 关键词： 光学微波信号生成 分布反馈激光器 Y形波导 拍频     

Small-signal analysis of OOFDM signal transmission with directly modulated laser and direct detection

This work presents a small-signal analysis for investigating the transmission performance of optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals with a directly modulated DFB laser (DML). The analysis shows the positive chirp of DMLs can intensify power fading after transmission with positive dispersion and provide power gain instead with negative dispersion. The power of subcarrier-to-subcarrier intermixing interference after square-law direct detection, however, is independent on the sign of dispersion.     

InP-based optoelectronic devices for optical fiber communications

In this contribution we report the research and development of 1.55 μm InGaAsP/InP gain-coupled DFB laser with an improved injection-carrier induced grating and of high performance 1.3 μm and 1.55 μm InGaAsP/InP FP and DFB lasers for communications. Long wavelength strained MQW laser diodes with a very low threshold current (7–10 mA) have been fabricated. Low pressure MOVPE technology has been employed for the preparation of the layered structure. A novel gain-coupled DFB laser structure with an improved injection-carrier modulated grating has been proposed and fabricated. The laser structures have been prepared by hybrid growth of MOVPE and LPE techniques and reasonably good characteristics have been achieved for resultant lasers. High performance 1.3 μm and 1.55 μm InGaAsP/InP DFB lasers have successfully been developed for CATV and trunk line optical fiber communication. Presented at the 1st Czech-Chinese Workshop “Advanced Materials for Optoelectronics”, Prague, Czech Republic, June 13–17, 1998. Kunio Tada and Yoshiaki Nakano for their cooperation in the fabrication of the novel gain-coupled DFB lasers.     

Characterization of semiconductor laser frequency chirp based on signal distortion in dispersive optical fiber

In the paper, the simple method of laser chirp parameters estimation is presented. It is based on measuring time-domain distortions of chirped signal transmitted through dispersive fiber and finding laser chirp parameters by matching measured distortions to calculated ones. Experiments undertaken with 1.55 μm telecommunication grade distributed feedback (DFB) lasers and standard single-mode fiber are described, together with some practical remarks on measurement setup and main conclusions.     

Measurement for waveform and chirping of optical pulses generated by directly modulated DFB laser and external EA modulator

Optical pulse generated by directly modulated distributed feedback (DFB) laser and external electro-absorption modulator (EAM) in virtue of the method of fringe-resolved second-harmonic generation correlation was measured. Without the pulse's shape being assumed, through the method of iterative reconstruct interference signal, the waveform and phase of the pulse was reconstructed. The full-wave at half-maximum (FWHM) of the pulse generated by EAM under the microwave modulation of 2.5 GHz is 30.8 ps, whose shape is close to that of the sech²-type pulse. The FWHM of the pulse generated by DFB laser is 18.3 ps, whose shape is close to that of the Lorenz-type pulse. And the original chirping of EAM is smaller than that of DFB laser.     

高斯白噪声相位调制的激光光谱展宽

激光器是现代光学中一种常用的光源,分析其谱宽特性对于激光的研究具有重要意义.由于高性能窄线宽激光的半高全宽通常在几十M Hz以内,难以直接满足宽光谱领域的应用需求,因而无法发挥其在成本和性能方面的优势,这在一定程度上限制了激光的发展.如果在激光内部直接进行调制实现线宽展宽,又会导致频率的严重漂移,破坏稳频特性.为了在激...     

三次啁啾光纤光栅的设计及其应用

针对直接调制的半导体激光器产生的非线性啁啾,设计了一种新型的三次啁啾光纤光栅,与线性啁啾光纤光栅相比,它能更为彻底地补偿此类非线性啁啾.     

Analysis of linewidth and extinction ratio in directly modulated lasers for performance optimization in 10 Gbit/s CWDM systems

Direct Modulation Lasers (DMLs) have attracted increased attention during the past few years because of their intrinsic simplicity and cost-effectiveness, especially when applied to WDM metro and access networks. However, the output power waveform from a directly modulated laser is not an exact replica of the modulation current and its instantaneous optical frequency varies with time depending on the changes in optical power and the extinction ratio (ER) (an effect also known as frequency chirp). In this work, using an Optical Communication System Design Software, we have studied a directly modulated WDM 10 Gb/s system which transmission performance depends strongly on DML characteristics; simulation results have provided supplementary details about the effects of DML type (adiabatic or transient chirp dominated) as well as the effects of the optical output power. These details can provide useful design guidelines for constructing a WDM metro network.     

Nonlinear effects in blue-shift waveguide EAM's

To exploit the vast bandwidth of optical communication systems for high bit-rate long-haul transmission, external modulators show a better system performance than directly modulated lasers. One of the main advantages of electroabsorption modulators (EAM's) compared with Mach–Zehnder modulators is the possibility to integrate the modulator with a laser having the same active layer. This reduces processing complexity and system costs. Usually the quantum confined Stark effect results in a red shift of the absorption, which leads to a small gain due to a detuned operation of the integrated laser. In contrast, blue shift structures have been proposed for these integrated devices as they show both good laser and modulator properties. These structures suffer from the drawback that saturation effects may occur for higher optical power as these devices absorb the optical power at low applied bias. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of nonlinear saturation effects like carrier accumulation, Burnstein–Moss-effect and carrier screening.     

Effect of gain compression above and below threshold on the chirp characteristics of 1.55 µm distributed feedback laser

We have observed and quantified the adiabatic and transient chirp in a directly modulated laser. The wavelength excursion for both chirp terms is well characterized by the phase rate equation model that describes the chirp behavior. In this study, the effect of gain compression and linewidth enhancement factor, below and above threshold, on the chirp characteristics is investigated by simulation. We have observed the trade-off between the two chirp terms i.e., transient part of the chirp is reduced by the strong damping introduced by gain compression, while as the adiabatic part increases with gain compression. We have observed that above threshold the α-factor increases with bias current, which is attributed to the enhancement of gain compression coefficient. It is shown that the higher the maximum gain, the lower the effects of gain compression and lower the α-factor. Finally, the effects of gain compression on the transmission characteristics are investigated.     

Side-mode suppression characteristics of phase shifted DFB diode lasers

Previously developed method for analysis of phase shifted DFB lasers is improved by incoporating it with a multi-mode rate equation analysis. The spectral characteristics of phase shifted DFB lasers above threshold can thus be analyzed. This paper considers the side-mode suppression properties of phase shifted DFB laser versus phase shift, phase shift position and kL value under different facet coating conditions.     

DFB激光二极管电流-温度调谐特性的解析模型

从DFB型激光二极管调谐机理出发,提出了电流-温度调谐特性的解析模型,通过实验测量结果辨识出模型参数,将模型应用于四个不同厂家的DFB型二极管激光器,得到激光器电流-温度调谐的解析模型;将模型预测值与实验测量值比较,相关系数均在0.9999以上.同时,利用CO₂气体的多个吸收谱线测量激光的波长,验证了解析模型的预测波长值,与HITRAN谱库中CO₂气体吸收波长的误差在3 pm内.解析模型能够精确预测激光器在快速调谐过程中的瞬态输出波长,其精度能够满足光谱分析、光 关键词： DFB激光二极管 调谐机理 解析模型 电流调谐和温度调谐     

Transient mode competition in directly modulated DFB semiconductor laser

A new effect of transient mode competition in directly modulated DFB laser based on equivalent phase-shift(EPS) technique is presented and studied. Since there are multi-order reflections in EPS structure and if the 0th order subgrating is properly designed, the transient lasing of 0th order will occur during the rising time of the injection current. As a result, transient mode competition between ?1st order(main mode) and 0th order will occur accordingly. This can consume redundant carrier and suppress the transient relaxation oscillation, which may be applied in some areas like on-off switching modulation of DFB semiconductor lasers. As an example, an equivalent ? phase shift(?-EPS) is carefully designed to realize the effect. In such a laser the 0th order wavelength is in the margin of the material gain region and the ?1st order wavelength is around the gain peak, while the stable single longitudinal mode(SLM) operation of the ?1st order is guaranteed. The simulation investigation is performed. Good results with suppressed relaxation oscillation and 1.25 Gb/s directly on-off modulation(32 d B extinction ratio) are demonstrated. We believe it provides a new kind of method for on-off switching with high extinction ratio and weak relaxation oscillation.     

Demonstration of a portable near-infrared CH4 detection sensor based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

A portable near-infrared (NIR) CH₄ detection sensor based on a distributed feedback (DFB) laser modulated at 1.654 μm is experimentally demonstrated. Intelligent temperature controller with an accuracy of −0.07 to +0.09 °C as well as a scan and modulation module generating saw-wave and cosine-wave signals are developed to drive the DFB laser, and a cost effective lock-in amplifier used to extract the second harmonic signal is integrated. Thorough experiments are carried out to obtain detection performances, including detection range, accuracy, stability and the minimum detection limit (MDL). Measurement results show that the absolute detection error relative to the standard value is less than 7% within the range of 0–100%, and the MDL is estimated to be about 11 ppm under an absorption length of 0.2 m and a noise level of 2 mV_pp. Twenty-four hours monitoring on two gas samples (0.1% and 20%) indicates that the absolute errors are less than 7% and 2.5%, respectively, suggesting good long term stability. The sensor reveals competitive characteristics compared with other reported portable or handheld sensors. The developed sensor can also be used for the detection of other gases by adopting other DFB lasers with different center-wavelength using the same hardware and slightly modified software.     

用于10Gb/s传输系统的电吸收调制器与分布反馈激光器集成光源

采用超低压(22×１０^２Pa)选择区域生长(selective area growth, SAG)金属有机化学气相沉积(metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, MOCVD)技术成功制备了应变型InGaAsP/InGaAsP电吸收调制器(electroabsorption modulator, EAM)与分布反馈激光器(distribute feedback laser, DFB)单片集成光源的新型光电器件.实验结果表明，采用该技术制备的集成器件表现出了良好的性能：激射阈值为19 mA，出光功率接近7 mW，边模抑制比(side-mode suppression ratio, SMSR)大于40 dB，将该集成器件出射光耦合进普通单模光纤后进行测量，获得了16 dB的消光比，器件3 dB响应带宽达到了10 GHz以上.将该集成器件完全封装后成功进行了10 Gb/s非归零码(non-return zero, NRZ)的传输实验：在误码率为10^-10的传输条件下于普通单模光纤中传输了53.3 km，色散代价小于1.5 dB，动态消光比大于8 dB，且眼图清晰张开. 关键词： 超低压 选择区域生长 集成光电子器件 10 Gb/s