Model for passive mode locking in semiconductor lasers

Vladimirov, Andrei; Turaev, Dmitry

doi:10.1103/physreva.72.033808

Cited by 286 publications

(262 citation statements)

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“…They are similar to those of the saturable gain and loss in a quantum well laser, for which the gain section is characterized by a very slow, almost linear recovery. 8 On the contrary, the recovery of the saturable gain G͑t͒ and loss Q͑t͒ of the QD sections appears to be much faster ͓see Figs. 1͑b͒ and 1͑c͔͒.…”

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Model for mode locking in quantum dot lasers

Viktorov

Mandel

Vladimirov

et al. 2006

Applied Physics Letters

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We propose a model for passive mode locking in quantum dot lasers and report on specific dynamical properties of the regime which is characterized by a fast gain recovery. No Q-switching instability has been found accompanying the mode locking. Bistability can occur between the mode locking regime and the nonlasing state. © 2006 American Institute of Physics. ͓DOI: 10.1063/1.2203937͔ Lasers and amplifiers based on self-assembled quantum dots attract significant attention due to reduced threshold current, low chirp, weak temperature dependence, 1 and a reduced sensitivity to optical feedback 2 at telecom wavelengths. Among the regimes displayed by multimode lasers, passive mode locking ͑ML͒ is a powerful method to generate short pulses for time domain multiplexing and for optical comb generator. The first experiments have been reported on ML in quantum dot ͑QD͒ lasers at 1.3 m up to 50 GHz ͑Refs. 3 and 4͒ and demonstrated their superiority to quantum well lasers for network applications. 5 The physics of the passive ML in a QD laser remains the same as in other lasers: the absorbing medium saturates faster than the amplifying one, and, therefore, a short window of net gain emerges for the pulse amplification. 6 However, the nonlinear dynamics of ML depends on the specific characteristics of QD material and deserves detailed theoretical analysis in order to optimize QD lasers for practical applications.In this letter we construct a delay differential model to describe ML in quantum dot lasers using the approach proposed in Refs. 7 and 8. In our model the dynamics of each of the two quantum dot laser sections, gain and absorber, is governed by two rate equations for the time evolution of the quantum dot occupation probabilities and the carrier densities in the wetting layer. We find that ML in quantum dot lasers exhibits specific dynamical properties which we associate with the escape and the capture processes in the quantum dot material. In particular, we explain the absence of the low frequency Q-switching instability and the existence of bistability between the ML regime and the nonlasing state.Let us consider a ring laser consisting of three sections. The first section with the length L q , and the second section with the length L g , contain the saturable absorber and the gain medium, respectively. The third section acts as a spectral filter that limits the bandwidth of the laser radiation. The equations describing the evolution of the electric field envelope A͑t͒ at the entrance of the absorber section can be written in the form 7where A͑t͒ is the normalized complex amplitude of the electric field, ␥ is the dimensionless bandwidth of the spectral filtering section, and ␣ g ͑␣ q ͒ is the linewidth enhancement factors in the gain ͑absorber͒ section. The delay parameter T is equal to the cold cavity round trip time. The attenuation factor Ͻ 1 describes total nonresonant linear intensity losses per cavity round trip.The variables G͑t͒ and Q͑t͒ are the dimensionless saturable gain and absorption:where the variable...

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“…͑1͒ and the relations among the input and output fields in the amplifier and absorber sections are given in Ref. 8. Using these relations we write the following four equations for the amplifying and absorbing sections:…”

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Model for mode locking in quantum dot lasers

Viktorov

Mandel

Vladimirov

et al. 2006

Applied Physics Letters

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“…A lumped element time domain model has also been developed that eliminates the spatial dependence in favour of a delaydifferential equation for the field variable [13]. These models are efficient tools for understanding the physical origins of complex spectral and pulse shaping mechanisms in mode-locked semiconductor lasers [14][15][16].…”

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Dispersion-induced dynamics of coupled modes in a semiconductor laser with saturable absorption

O’Callaghan¹,

Osborne²,

O’Brien³

2014

Phys. Rev. A

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We present an experimental and theoretical study of modal nonlinear dynamics in a specially designed dual-mode semiconductor Fabry-Perot laser with a saturable absorber. At zero bias applied to the absorber section, we have found that with increasing device current, single mode self-pulsations evolve into a complex dynamical state where the total intensity experiences regular bursts of pulsations on a constant background. Spectrally resolved measurements reveal that in this state the individual modes of the device can follow highly symmetric but oppositely directed spiralling orbits. Using a generalization of the rate equation description of a semiconductor laser with saturable absorption to the multimode case, we show that these orbits appear as a consequence of the interplay between the material dispersion in the gain and absorber sections of the laser. Our results provide insights into the factors that determine the stability of multimode states in these systems, and they can inform the development of semiconductor mode-locked lasers with tailored spectra.

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“…4 In this paper we study the effect of single tone injection on QD-MLL performance both numerically and experimentally, where the laser mode-locking mechanism remains passive. Using the delay differential model described in 5 with parameters derived from phase-sensitive pump-probe measurements we show that waveform instabilities can be suppressed by optical injection. We also present synchronization cones obtained by numerical tools as well as by experimental scanning.…”

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“…We consider a model for a semiconductor mode-locked laser 5 that has been applied to QD mode-locked lasers. 6 The model expressed in dimensionless terms reads…”

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Stabilization of a passively mode-locked laser by continuous wave optical injection

Rebrova

Habruseva

Huyet

et al. 2010

Applied Physics Letters

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We investigate numerically and experimentally the properties of a passively mode locked quantum dot semiconductor laser under the influence of cw optical injection. We demonstrate that the waveform instability at high pumping for these devices can be overcome when one mode of the device is locked to the injected master laser and additionally show spectral narrowing and tunability. Experimental and numerical analyses demonstrate that the stable locking boundaries are similar to these obtained for optical injection in CW lasers. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. (doi:10.1063/1.3483231

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Model for passive mode locking in semiconductor lasers

Cited by 286 publications

References 25 publications

Model for mode locking in quantum dot lasers

Model for mode locking in quantum dot lasers

Dispersion-induced dynamics of coupled modes in a semiconductor laser with saturable absorption

Stabilization of a passively mode-locked laser by continuous wave optical injection

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