Output power changes in laser diodes subject to sub-wavelength variations in external cavity length: theory and experiment

Summary form only. Recent experiments have shown that the five regimes of feedback commonly used to characterise the dynamical performance of laser diodes subject to optical feedback poorly describe the behaviour for short external cavity laser diodes. Experimental investigations have shown that the output power of the laser can be dramatically affected by sub-wavelength variation in the external cavity length. A theoretical investigation using the Lang-Kobayashi model has shown excellent agreement with experimental results, and has thus elucidated the mechanisms that induces the observed experimental behaviour.