Faster modulation of single-mode semiconductor lasers through patterned current switching: numerical investigation

The application of appropriately shaped injection current fronts to the transition between two logical levels in data transmission allows for the removal of all relaxation oscillations, as calculated from a standard model for single-mode semiconductor lasers. High-quality signals at speeds up to 10 Gbit/s for above-threshold biasing are expected with this extension of direct modulation of the injection current. The effects of intrinsic noise and errors in the prescribed current form, as well as their influence on the signal quality, are numerically investigated. Possible technical realisations of the proposed scheme are discussed.