Semiconductor laser stabilization by external optical feedback

A report is presented on a general theory describing the effect of external optical feedback on the steady-state noise characteristics of single-mode semiconductor lasers. The theory is valid for arbitrarily strong feedback and arbitrary optical feedback configuration and spectrum. A generalized Langevin rate equation is derived. The equation is, in general, infinite order in d/dt constituting an infinite-order correction to the low-frequency weak-feedback analysis. The general formalism includes relaxation oscillations and permits analysis of the effect of feedback on the laser linewidth, frequency noise, relative intensity noise, and the relaxation oscillation sidebands in the field spectrum. The theory is applied to two important feedback configurations: the laser coupled to a single mirror and the laser coupled to a high-Q cavity. >

[1]  An exact formulation of coupled-mode theory for coupled-cavity lasers , 1988 .

[2]  C. Henry.  Theory of spontaneous emission noise in open resonators and its application to lasers and optical amplifiers , 1986 .

[3]  Govind P. Agrawal,et al.  Line narrowing in a single-mode injection laser due to external optical feedback , 1984 .

[4]  John Clarke,et al.  Flicker (1f) noise: Equilibrium temperature and resistance fluctuations , 1976 .

[5]  Kerry J. Vahala,et al.  Observation of relaxation resonance effects in the field spectrum of semiconductor lasers , 1983 .

[6]  Semiclassical theory of noise in multielement semiconductor lasers , 1986 .

[7]  D. Kleinman,et al.  Discrimination against unwanted orders in the Fabry-Perot resonator , 1962 .

[8]  H. Telle.  Narrow linewidth laser diodes with broad continuous tuning range , 1989 .

[9]  S. Saito,et al.  Semiconductor laser linewidth in optical feedback configurations , 1983 .

[10]  Rajarshi Roy,et al.  Extracavity laser band-shape and bandwidth modification , 1982 .

[11]  A. Yariv,et al.  Analysis of the dynamic response of multielement semiconductor lasers , 1985, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[12]  H. Taylor,et al.  Correlation of Low-Frequency Intensity and Frequency Fluctuations in GaAlAs Lasers , 1982 .

[13]  Motoichi Ohtsu,et al.  Linewidth reduction of a semiconductor laser by electrical feedback , 1985 .

[14]  J. Mork,et al.  The mechanism of mode selection for an external cavity laser , 1990, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[15]  Paolo Spano,et al.  Theory of noise in semiconductor lasers in the presence of optical feedback , 1984 .

[16]  J. Picqué,et al.  Frequency‐controlled cw tunable GaAs laser , 1975 .

[17]  C. Henry.  Phase noise in semiconductor lasers , 1986 .

[18]  Motoichi Ohtsu,et al.  FM noise reduction and subkilohertz linewidth of an AlGaAs laser by negative electrical feedback , 1990 .

[19]  B. Tromborg,et al.  Transmission line description of optical feedback and injection locking for Fabry-Perot and DFB lasers , 1987 .

[20]  H. Tsuchida,et al.  Frequency Stabilization of AlGaAs Semiconductor Laser to the Absorption Line of Water Vapor , 1982 .

[21]  A. Chraplyvy,et al.  Regimes of feedback effects in 1.5-µm distributed feedback lasers , 1986 .

[22]  John L. Hall,et al.  Laser stabilization at the millihertz level , 1988 .

[23]  A. Hemmerich,et al.  Optically stabilized narrow linewidth semiconductor laser for high resolution spectroscopy , 1990 .

[24]  A. Clairon,et al.  Frequency noise analysis of optically self-locked diode lasers , 1989 .

[25]  H. Taylor,et al.  Polarization-resolved low-frequency noise in GaAlAs lasers , 1986 .

[26]  R. O. Miles,et al.  Spectral characteristics of semiconductor lasers with optical feedback , 1982 .

[27]  T. Okoshi,et al.  Simple formula giving spectrum-narrowing ratio of semiconductor-laser output obtained by optical feedback , 1982 .

[28]  Klaus Petermann,et al.  Numerical analysis of the feedback regimes for a single-mode semiconductor laser with external feedback , 1988 .

[29]  D. Lenstra,et al.  Coherence collapse in single-mode semiconductor lasers due to optical feedback , 1985, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics.

[30]  G. D. Cormack,et al.  Mode selection and stability of a semiconductor laser with weak optical feedback , 1989 .

[31]  Charles Howard Henry,et al.  Instability of semiconductor lasers due to optical feedback from distant reflectors , 1986 .

[32]  R. Lang,et al.  External optical feedback effects on semiconductor injection laser properties , 1980 .

[33]  N. Abraham,et al.  Analysis of the noise spectra of a laser diode with optical feedback from a high-finesse resonator , 1989 .

[34]  L. Hollberg,et al.  Frequency stabilization of semiconductor lasers by resonant optical feedback. , 1987, Optics letters.

[35]  Yoshihisa Yamamoto,et al.  Direct observation of Lorentzian lineshape of semiconductor laser and linewidth reduction with external grating feedback , 1981 .

[36]  F. Favre,et al.  Spectral properties of a semiconductor laser coupled to a single mode fiber resonator , 1985 .

[37]  K. Kurokawa,et al.  Some basic characteristics of broadband negative resistance oscillator circuits , 1969 .

[38]  Dag Roar Hjelme,et al.  Gain nonlinearities due to carrier density dependent dispersion in semiconductor lasers , 1989 .

[39]  Lang,et al.  Local-field rate equations for coupled optical resonators. , 1986, Physical review. A, General physics.

[40]  K. Vahala,et al.  The effect of spatially dependent temperature and carrier fluctuations on noise in semiconductor lasers , 1985 .

[41]  K. H. Cameron,et al.  External cavity controlled single longitudinal mode laser transmitter module , 1981 .

[42]  P. G. Eliseev,et al.  Study of the single-mode injection laser , 1973 .

[43]  Dietrich Marcuse,et al.  Coupled mode theory of optical resonant cavities , 1985 .

[44]  On the theory of external cavity operated single-mode semiconductor lasers , 1987 .

[45]  A. Mooradian,et al.  Spectral characteristics of external-cavity controlled semiconductor lasers , 1980 .

[46]  T. Okoshi,et al.  Frequency stabilisation of semiconductor lasers for heterodyne-type optical communication systems , 1980 .

[47]  A. Tager,et al.  Coherence and spectral properties of radiation emitted by a semiconductor laser with an external reflector , 1984 .

[48]  R. G. Beausoleil,et al.  Semiconductor Laser Stabilization By External Optical Feedback , 1989, Photonics West - Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering.

[49]  D. Lenstra,et al.  Spectral properties of the coherence collapsed state of a semiconductor laser with delayed optical feedback , 1989 .

[50]  C. E. Moeller,et al.  Chaos in the coherence collapse of semiconductor lasers , 1988 .

[51]  R.J.S. Pedersen,et al.  Center frequency shift and reduction of feedback in directly modulated external cavity lasers , 1989, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[52]  Roy,et al.  Noise in nearly-single-mode semiconductor lasers. , 1989, Physical review. A, General physics.

[53]  C. Wieman,et al.  Production of a cold atomic vapor using diode-laser cooling , 1988 .

[54]  Olle Nilsson,et al.  Theory of a negative frequency feedback semiconductor laser , 1985 .

[55]  Hirokazu Hori,et al.  Frequency-Locking of a GaAlAs Laser to a Doppler-Free Spectrum of the Cs-D2Line , 1981 .

[56]  C. Gardiner.  Handbook of Stochastic Methods , 1983 .

[57]  J. S. Cohen,et al.  The effect of optical feedback on the relaxation oscillation in semiconductor lasers , 1988 .