Stability and dynamic properties of multi-electrode laser diodes using a Green´s function approach

In DFB (distributed feedback) lasers, the shape of the longitudinal intensity and carrier density distributions changes above threshold as a result of spatial hole burning. The longitudinally distributed coupling of spontaneous emission into the lasing mode also plays an important role for the noise properties. The authors demonstrate how both effects can be included in a dynamic analysis. They extend their previously developed theory for multielectrode lasers to enable calculation of stability properties as well as small-signal modulation responses and noise spectra. The theory is used to study global and local stability of the stationary solutions (modes). The numerical results for several laser structures are presented. It is shown that symmetric DFB lasers are likely to exhibit pitchfork bifurcations in their static tuning characteristics as the current is increased. The authors discuss how the presence or proximity of such instabilities can affect the modulation and noise properties, and in particular, the spectral linewidth