Chapter 4 The Functional Reliability of Semiconductor Lasers as Optical Transmitters

Publisher Summary This chapter evaluates the functional reliability of optical transmitters operated at 45 Mbits/sec using proton-bombarded lasers. The results presented in the chapter illustrate the types of aging mechanisms that should be considered for lasers used in transmitters for optical telecommunication systems. The chapter describes the various components of the functional test set and discusses the parameters it can record and the type of analyses applied to the raw results. The chapter discusses three second-generation experiments: (1) an investigation of the effects of different biasing conditions in a transmitter circuit, (2) a study of the temperature dependence of transmitter reliability, and (3) a life-test study of transmitters with a redesigned optical feedback scheme. It reviews data by other workers on a single-mode AlGaAs laser transmitter for space communication in the chapter. Test-set design for functional life testing can be quite simple or very elaborate, depending on the number of units and parameters to be measured. However, to ensure flexibility in the design of experiments and to minimize ambiguity during data analyses, temperature control and provisions for measuring both static and dynamic properties are basic requirements. The chapter illustrates a test set designed for evaluating the end-of-life criteria for a transmitter using a 1.3- μ m single-mode laser as the source.

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