Measurement of spatially dependent carrier lifetimes in 1.55-/spl mu/m DFB quantum well lasers using microwave modulation

Summary form only given. We study the effect of a distributed feedback (DFB) structure on the carrier lifetime in a semiconductor laser. In DFB lasers, the spatially inhomogeneous optical intensity along the longitudinal direction of the active region gives rise to spatial hole burning. We show that this inhomogeneous intensity also creates a spatially dependent differential carrier lifetime, and that this spatial dependence exists even when the laser is biased below threshold. The differential carrier lifetimes are measured from the intrinsic microwave modulation responses for a laser biased below threshold.