Small-signal response of 1.3-μm InAsP-InGaAsP quantum-well laser diodes obtained with a terahertz-bandwidth frequency comb

We describe an optical method to carry out small-signal frequency response measurements in laser diodes. This method uses a midinfrared tunable femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO), whose frequency spectrum consists of a comb composed by the multiple harmonics of the 81-MHz repetition rate of the same intensity and extending over 2 THz. Tuning of the OPO allows selective generation of carriers in the different regions of the test laser active area without compromising the frequency bandwidth. The small-signal frequency response of the test laser is retrieved from the intensity changes in the frequency comb spectrum. We apply this method to investigate the small-signal frequency response of 1.3-μm InAsP quantum-well (QW) lasers. The results of these experiments show that the intrinsic frequency bandwidth of these lasers is limited to less than 10 GHz as a result of state filling and related carrier escape out of the well. An analysis of the frequency response traces through a solution of a system of rate equations allows us to estimate the magnitude of the gain compression associated with this process.