Carrier DC and AC capture and escape times in quantum-well lasers

Author

Tsai, Chin-Yi ; Tsai, Chin-Yao ; Lo, Yu-Hwa ; Eastman, Lester F.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Appl. & Eng. Phys., Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY, USA

Volume

7

Issue

6

fYear

1995

fDate

6/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

599

Lastpage

601

Abstract

A theoretical model is proposed to study the carrier DC and AC capture and escape times in the small signal modulation response of quantum-well lasers. We derive the DC and AC capture and escape times by calculating the carrier net capture current. Our numerical results indicate that the AC capture and escape times are smaller than the DC capture and escape times. In some cases, they may be even smaller by one order of magnitude. We also find that the AC capture/escape time ratio is larger than the DC capture/escape time ratio by a factor of two. Therefore, conventional theoretical models that do not distinguish the differences between the DC and AC capture and escape times may overestimate the resonant frequency and underestimate the damping rate in the modulation response of quantum-well lasers, i.e., the AC capture and escape times limit the modulation bandwidth of quantum-well lasers more severely than that predicted by the DC capture and escape times.<>

Keywords

carrier lifetime; laser theory; optical modulation; quantum well lasers; AC capture; carrier DC capture; carrier net capture current; damping rate; escape times; modulation bandwidth; modulation response; quantum-well lasers; resonant frequency; small signal modulation response; Bandwidth; Carrier confinement; Damping; Laser modes; Laser theory; Niobium; Quantum well lasers; Resonant frequency; Stimulated emission; Threshold current;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.388736

Filename

388736