Tolerance to Optical Feedback of 10-Gb/s Quantum-Dash-Based Lasers Emitting at 1.51 μm

Tolerance to optical feedback is investigated on quantum-dash-based lasers emitting at 1.51 mum. The onset of coherence collapse regime is experimentally determined using three criteria: optical spectrum broadening, relative intensity noise increase, and bit-error-rate degradation. Measurements were first performed in static operation at different current values, using the first and second criteria. The onset of coherence collapse was found to increase from ~-41 to -27 dB with the bias current. Then tolerance to optical feedback was assessed in dynamic operation at 10 Gb/s, using the third criterion. In spite of a relatively high linewidth enhancement factor , (alphaH ~4.5) a -32-dB onset of coherence collapse corresponding to -24-dB maximum optical return loss tolerance was achieved at 10-Gb/s rate.