Design of VCSEL´s for feedback insensitive data transmission and external cavity active mode-locking

Author

Fiedler, Ulrich ; Ebeling, Karl Joachim

Author_Institution

Abteilung Optoelektron., Ulm Univ., Germany

Volume

1

Issue

2

fYear

1995

fDate

6/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

442

Lastpage

450

Abstract

We present a detailed study of feedback effects in the regime of -60 to -2 dB feedback of top surface-emitting vertical-cavity laser diodes (VCSEL). Feedback dependent properties such as threshold current reduction, mode-locking, relative intensity noise and power penalty in high data rate transmission are shown to be strongly dependent on the output mirror reflectivity. A two-resonator model is applied to derive design equations and to explain feedback properties. In 1 Gbit/s single-mode fiber transmission VCSEL´s with top Bragg mirror reflectivity of 99.8% require a power penalty of 1.5 dB at -10 dB feedback level while similar VCSEL´s with 99.0% top mirror reflectivity run into a noise floor of 10^-4 bit-error rate for the same feedback conditions. Strong feedback is used to generate nearly transform limited mode-locked 22 ps pulses with timing jitter below 1 ps in a single-mode fiber VCSEL module of 1.7-mA threshold current

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; laser cavity resonators; laser feedback; laser mirrors; laser mode locking; laser noise; laser theory; optical communication equipment; optical design techniques; quantum well lasers; reflectivity; semiconductor device models; surface emitting lasers; 1 Gbit/s; 1 ps; 1.7 mA; 22 ps; InGaAs; VCSEL; bit-error rate; design equations; external cavity active mode-locking; feedback conditions; feedback dependent properties; feedback insensitive data transmission; feedback properties; high data rate transmission; nearly transform limited mode-locked pulses; noise floor; output mirror reflectivity; power penalty; relative intensity noise; single-mode fiber VCSEL module; single-mode fiber transmission; threshold current; threshold current reduction; timing jitter; top Bragg mirror reflectivity; top surface-emitting vertical-cavity laser diodes; two-resonator model; Data communication; Diode lasers; Equations; Laser feedback; Mirrors; Noise reduction; Output feedback; Reflectivity; Threshold current; Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/2944.401227

Filename

401227