Influence of nonuniform carrier distribution on the polarization dependence of modal gain in multiquantum-well lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers

Author

Ban, Dayan ; Sargent, Edward H.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Toronto Univ., Ont., Canada

Volume

36

Issue

9

fYear

2000

Firstpage

1081

Lastpage

1088

Abstract

We investigate the modal gain seen by transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) modes of bulk and multiquantum-well (MQW) lasers given a nonuniform distribution of active region carriers. We find that the dependence of modal gain on the nonuniformity of carrier profile differs for TE and TM modes. This experimentally observable phenomenon is proposed as a measure of carrier density nonuniformity. We discuss the importance of the confinement picture for TE and TM modes, in the generalized presence of some asymmetry, in assuring injection-level independent polarization insensitivity in semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers.

Keywords

carrier density; laser modes; laser theory; light polarization; quantum well lasers; semiconductor device models; semiconductor optical amplifiers; sensitivity; MQW lasers; active region carriers; asymmetry; bulk lasers; carrier density nonuniformity; carrier profile; injection-level independent polarization insensitivity; modal gain; multiquantum-well lasers; nonuniform carrier distribution; nonuniform distribution; polarization dependence; semiconductor lasers; semiconductor optical amplifiers; Carrier confinement; Charge carrier density; Density measurement; Laser modes; Optical polarization; Quantum well devices; Semiconductor lasers; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Stimulated emission; Tellurium;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.863961

Filename

863961