Characterization of the working parameters of a long-wavelength VCSEL

We report on measurements of the working parameters of a 1550-nm single-transverse mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), including those that describe the polarization behavior of the device. Simple expressions for the laser linewidth and laser power as a function of the bias current are used in a first stage. High resolution CW optical spectrum and intensity noise spectrum measurements are performed to apply this technique. Current-induced polarization switching (PS) is observed in our device when increasing the bias current, from the higher to the lower frequency polarization mode. A minimum in the absolute value of the effective dichroism is observed at the PS point. The value of the effective birefringence has a discontinuity at the current at which PS is observed. PS characteristics are used for the extraction of the parameters describing the polarization behavior of the VCSEL.

[1]  Kent D. Choquette,et al.  Gain-dependent polarization properties of vertical-cavity lasers , 1995 .

[2]  P ? ? ? ? ? ? ? % ? ? ? ? , 1991 .

[3]  W. Hofmann,et al.  InP-Based Long-Wavelength VCSELs and VCSEL Arrays , 2009, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[4]  H. Thienpont,et al.  Effect of photon-energy-dependent loss and gain mechanisms on polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers , 1999 .

[5]  J. P. Woerdman,et al.  Polarization fluctuations in vertical-cavity semiconductor lasers , 1998 .

[6]  M. Majewski,et al.  A Critical Comparison of High-Speed VCSEL Characterization Techniques , 2007, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[7]  John B. Shoven,et al.  I , Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal.

[8]  A. Barone.  Short pulse generation from semiconductor lasers: characterization, modeling and applications , 2011 .

[9]  E. Kapon,et al.  Progress and challenges in industrial fabrication of wafer-fused VCSELs emitting in the 1310 nm band for high-speed wavelength division multiplexing applications , 2013, Photonics West - Optoelectronic Materials and Devices.

[10]  San Miguel M,et al.  Light-polarization dynamics in surface-emitting semiconductor lasers. , 1995, Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics.

[11]  J. P. Woerdman,et al.  Polarization modal noise and dichroism in vertical-cavity semiconductor lasers , 1999 .

[12]  O-Kyun Kwon,et al.  All-Monolithic 1.55 µm InAlGaAs/InP Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers Grown by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition , 2005 .

[13]  Kevin Barraclough,et al.  I and i , 2001, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[14]  Zheng-Mao Wu,et al.  Impact of optical feedback on current-induced polarization behavior of 1550 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. , 2013, Applied optics.

[15]  Neal B. Abraham,et al.  Polarization properties of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers , 1997 .

[16]  F. Koyama.  Recent Advances of VCSEL Photonics , 2006 .

[17]  J. Arias,et al.  Electrical characterization of long wavelength VCSELs with tunnel junction , 2011, OPTO.

[18]  T. Fordell,et al.  A Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser at Threshold , 2006, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[19]  Niloy K. Dutta,et al.  Long wavelength semiconductor lasers , 1988, Technical Digest., International Electron Devices Meeting.

[20]  J. Cartledge,et al.  Extraction of DFB laser rate equation parameters for system simulation purposes , 1996, Conference Proceedings LEOS'96 9th Annual Meeting IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society.

[21]  M. J. Adams,et al.  Dynamics of Polarized Optical Injection in 1550-nm VCSELs: Theory and Experiments , 2011, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[22]  S. Barland,et al.  Measurement of the working parameters of an air-post vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser , 2005, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[23]  T. Ackemann,et al.  Polarization switching to the gain disfavored mode in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers , 2004, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[24]  A. Rissons,et al.  Electrical Modeling of Long-Wavelength VCSELs for Intrinsic Parameters Extraction , 2010, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[25]  W. Marsden.  I and J , 2012 .

[26]  A. Syrbu,et al.  High-performance single-mode VCSELs in the 1310-nm waveband , 2005, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[27]  I. Garces,et al.  Characterization of the Main Semiconductor Laser Static and Dynamic Working Parameters From CW Optical Spectrum Measurements , 2007, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[28]  Hugo Thienpont,et al.  Deterministic polarization chaos from a laser diode , 2013 .

[29]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[30]  J. Rocca,et al.  Polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers observed at constant active region temperature , 1997 .

[31]  Johan S. Gustavsson,et al.  Advances in VCSELs for communication and sensing , 2010 .

[32]  R. Michalzik.  VCSELs: Fundamentals, Technology and Applications of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers , 2012 .

[33]  A. Valle,et al.  Theoretical calculation of relative intensity noise of multimode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers , 2004, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[34]  K. Shore,et al.  Polarization behavior of birefringent multitransverse mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers , 1997, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[35]  H. Thienpont,et al.  Polarization switching in VCSEL's due to thermal lensing , 1998, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[36]  A. Royset,et al.  Measurement of laser parameters for simulation of high-speed fiberoptic systems , 1996 .