Quantum size effect on longitudinal spatial hole burning in MQW λ/4-shifted DFB lasers

Author

Aoki, Masahiro ; Uomi, Kazuhisa ; Tsuchiya, Tomonobu ; Sasaki, Shinji ; Okai, Makoto ; Chinone, Naoki

Author_Institution

Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

Volume

27

Issue

6

fYear

1991

fDate

6/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1782

Lastpage

1789

Abstract

A method for reducing the effect of longitudinal spatial hole burning on the spectral properties of λ/4-shifted distributed feedback (DFB) lasers is presented. The method is based on the quantum size effect in the multiquantum well (MQW) structure, and is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically. First the effects of the longitudinal spatial hole burning on the spectral behavior are shown to be determined by the linewidth enhancement factor, not by the differential index or the optical confinement in the active layer. The reduction of the linewidth enhancement factor is found to be effective in suppressing the spectral instability and broadening induced by the longitudinal spatial hole burning. The theory is confirmed by qualitative and quantitative experimental measurements

Keywords

distributed feedback lasers; optical hole burning; quantum optics; semiconductor junction lasers; semiconductor quantum wells; active layer; linewidth enhancement factor; longitudinal spatial hole burning; multi-quantum well quarter wavelength shifted distributed feedback lasers; optical confinement; quantum size effect; spectral instability; spectral properties; Distributed feedback devices; Fiber lasers; Fiber nonlinear optics; Intensity modulation; Laser modes; Laser theory; Light sources; Nonlinear optics; Optical feedback; Quantum well devices;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.90004

Filename

90004