Title :
Picosecond Spectral Dynamics of Gain-Switched DFB Lasers
Author :
Riecke, Sina Margareta ; Wenzel, Hans ; Schwertfeger, Sven ; Lauritsen, Kristian ; Paschke, Katrin ; Erdmann, Rainer ; Erbert, Götz
Author_Institution :
PicoQuant GmbH, Berlin, Germany
fDate :
5/1/2011 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We study the generation of picosecond pulses by gain-switching of distributed feedback ridge-waveguide laser diodes. By pumping with short current pulses without d.c. bias, we obtain laser pulses with peak powers above 1 W at a wavelength around 1065 nm. These pulses exhibit strong spectral dynamics stemming from mode competition after switch-on. Typically, emission begins with a broad spectrum, before narrowing down to the Bragg line within a few hundred picoseconds. This dynamic behavior is studied in detail both experimentally and numerically for a variety of grating parameters. Using a rate-equation model with two species of photons, we achieve excellent agreement between simulation and experiment. In conclusion, we discuss the optimization of DFB laser diodes for short pulse generation.
Keywords :
distributed feedback lasers; optical pulse generation; optical pumping; semiconductor lasers; Bragg line; DFB laser diodes; distributed feedback ridge-waveguide laser diodes gain-switching; gain-switched DFB lasers; picosecond pulses generation; picosecond spectral dynamics; power 1 W; short pulse generation; wavelength 1065 nm; Diode lasers; Laser modes; Measurement by laser beam; Pulse measurements; Pump lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Temperature measurement; Bragg gratings; optical pulses; semiconductor lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JQE.2010.2096501