Frequency-Noise Dynamics of Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Lasers

Author

Borri, Simone ; Bartalini, Saverio ; Pastor, Pablo Cancio ; Galli, Iacopo ; Giusfredi, Giovanni ; Mazzotti, Davide ; Yamanishi, Masamichi ; Natale, Paolo De

Author_Institution

Ist. Naz. di Ottica, Consiglio Naz. delle Ric., Florence, Italy

Volume

47

Issue

7

fYear

2011

fDate

7/1/2011 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

984

Lastpage

988

Abstract

By measuring the frequency-noise power spectral density of a cryogenically-cooled mid-infrared quantum cascade laser, we investigate the different contributions to the noise spectrum and identify the main differences with respect to standard bipolar semiconductor devices. In particular, the existence of a thermal cut-off on the 1/f noise allows to identify the current fluctuations through the heterostructure as the physical mechanism, intrinsic to the device, at the basis of the measured flicker noise. This result, marking the difference with bipolar semiconductor devices, is confirmed analyzing the laser frequency response to a modulation of the driving current.

Keywords

1/f noise; cryogenics; current fluctuations; flicker noise; laser frequency stability; laser noise; optical modulation; quantum cascade lasers; semiconductor heterojunctions; 1/f noise; cryogenically-cooled laser; current fluctuations; flicker noise; frequency-noise power spectral density; heterostructures; laser frequency; mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers; optical modulation; standard bipolar semiconductor devices; thermal cut-off; Frequency measurement; Frequency modulation; Laser noise; Laser theory; Quantum cascade lasers; Frequency dynamics; frequency noise; physics of semiconductors; quantum cascade lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2011.2147760

Filename

5896007