Laser Diode Modulation and Noise

1 Introduction.- 2 Basic Laser Characteristics.- 2.1 Double heterostructure characteristics.- 2.2 Direct and indirect semiconductors.- 2.2.1 Energy- and momentum conservation.- 2.2.2 Semiconductor materials for direct and indirect semiconductors.- 2.3 Emission and absorption.- 2.3.1 Density of photon oscillation states.- 2.3.2 Principal mechanisms of radiative transitions.- 2.3.3 Carrier lifetime and lifetime of spontaneous emission.- 2.3.4 Gain and stimulated emission.- 2.4 Lasing characteristics of Fabry-Perot-type lasers.- 2.4.1 Lasing conditions.- 2.4.2 Dynamic characteristics of laser operation.- 2.4.3 Light current characteristics, threshold current and quantum efficiency.- 2.4.4 Basic laser structures.- 2.4.5 Modifications for the spontaneous emission term.- 2.5 Dynamic single-mode laser structures.- 2.5.1 DFB laser characteristics.- References.- 3 Longitudinal Mode Spectrum of Lasing Emission.- 3.1 Multimode rate equations.- 3.2 Spectral envelope for Fabry-Perot-type lasers (linear gain).- 3.3 Influence of nonlinear gain on the spectral characteristics.- 3.3.1 Symmetric nonlinear gain.- 3.3.2 Asymmetric nonlinear gain.- 3.3.3 Nonlinear gain, conclusions.- References.- 4 Intensity-Modulation Characteristics of Laser Diodes.- 4.1 Modulation characteristics by studying single-mode rate equations.- 4.1.1 Turn-on delay.- 4.1.2 Rate equations, small signal analysis.- 4.1.3 Relaxation oscillation damping.- 4.1.4 Upper limits for the modulation bandwidth of laser diodes.- 4.2 Influence of lateral carrier diffusion on relaxation oscillation damping.- 4.3 Modulation bandwidth limits due to parasitic elements.- 4.4 Examples for high speed modulation of laser diodes.- 4.5 Modulation and longitudinal mode spectrum.- 4.5.1 Transient spectra of laser diodes.- 4.5.2 Lasing spectra under high speed modulation.- 4.5.3 Dynamic single-mode condition.- 4.6 Modulation with binary signals.- 4.7 Harmonic and intermodulation distortions (without fibre interaction).- 4.7.1 Harmonic and intermodulation distortions for low modulation frequencies.- 4.7.2 Harmonic and intermodulation distortions for high modulation frequencies.- References.- 5 Frequency-Modulation Characteristics of Laser Diodes.- 5.1 Relation between intensity-modulation and frequency modulation.- 5.2 Current/frequency-modulation characteristics.- 5.3 Chirp effects in directly modulated laser diodes.- 5.3.1 Spectral line broadening due to laser chirping.- 5.3.2 Chirp-reduction by proper pulse shaping.- 5.3.3 Time-bandwidth product of chirped pulses.- 5.3.4 Transmission of chirped pulses over single-mode fibres.- 5.4 Possibilities of modifying the chirp parameter ?.- 5.4.1 Dispersion of the chirp parameter ?.- 5.4.2 Chirp of laser diodes, coupled to optical cavities.- References.- 6 Instabilities and Bistability in Laser Diodes.- 6.1 Repetitive self-pulsations due to lateral instabilities.- 6.2 Instability and bistability in laser diodes with segmented contacts.- References.- 7 Noise Characteristics of Solitary Laser Diodes.- 7.1 Relative intensity noise (RIN).- 7.1.1 Basic properties of noise signals.- 7.1.2 Definition and measurement of RIN.- 7.1.3 Requirement of RIN for intensity modulated systems.- 7.2 Introduction of the spontaneous emission noise.- 7.3 Intensity noise of laser diodes.- 7.3.1 Intensity noise of laser diodes by studying single-mode rate equations.- 7.3.2 Mode partition noise.- 7.3.3 Mode partition noise analysis for nearly single-mode lasers.- 7.3.4 Mode-hopping noise.- 7.3.5 1/f-intensity noise.- 7.4 Statistics of intensity noise.- 7.4.1 Statistics of amplified spontaneous emission.- 7.4.2 Probability density distribution for the total laser light output.- 7.4.3 Statistics of mode partition noise.- 7.4.4 Turn-on jitter in laser diodes.- 7.5 Mode partition noise for the transmission of pulse-code modulated (PCM)-signals.- 7.5.1 Multimode lasers.- 7.5.2 The mode partition coefficient k.- 7.5.3 Nearly single-mode lasers.- 7.6 Phase and frequency noise.- 7.6.1 Phase and frequency noise characterization in general.- 7.6.2 Spectral line shape for white frequency noise.- 7.6.3 Spectral line shape for 1/f-frequency noise.- 7.6.4 Frequency noise and spectral linewidth for single-mode laser diodes.- 7.6.5 Power-independent contribution to the linewidth of laser diodes.- 7.6.6 Correlation between FM-noise and AM-noise.- References.- 8 Noise in Interferometers Including Modal Noise and Distortions.- 8.1 Noise in interferometers.- 8.1.1 Complex degree of coherence.- 8.1.2 Interferometric noise analysis for single-mode lasers.- 8.1.3 Interferometric set-ups for measuring the linewidth and the degree of coherence.- 8.1.4 Interferometric noise analysis for multimode lasers.- 8.2 Modal noise.- 8.2.1 Modal noise for monochromatic light sources.- 8.2.2 Modal noise for single-mode lasers with finite spectral linewidth.- 8.2.3 Modal noise for multimode laser diodes.- 8.2.4 Modal distortions.- 8.3 Modal noise and distortions in single-mode fibres.- References.- 9 Semiconductor Lasers with Optical Feedback.- 9.1 Amplitude and phase conditions for laser diodes with external cavities.- 9.1.1 Short external reflectors for longitudinal mode stabilization.- 9.1.2 Emission frequency shifts due to optical feedback.- 9.1.3 Single external cavity mode condition.- 9.1.4 Spectral linewidth for laser diodes with external optical feedback.- 9.2 Dynamics of laser diodes with external reflections.- 9.2.1 Derivation of the time-dependent electric field.- 9.2.2 Modulation characteristics of external-cavity lasers.- 9.3 Laser diodes with distant reflections.- 9.3.1 Classification of feedback regimes.- 9.3.2 Phase and frequency noise of laser diodes with distant reflectors.- 9.3.3 Intensity noise in laser diodes with distant reflectors.- 9.3.4 Coherence collapse.- 9.3.5 Tolerable feedback levels.- References.- 10 Laser Diodes with Negative Electronic Feedback.- 10.1 Modulation characteristics of laser diodes with negative electronic feedback.- 10.2 Linewidth narrowing and phase noise reduction with negative electronic feedback.- References.- 11 Circuitry for Driving the Laser Diode.- 11.1 Schemes for stabilizing the bias current.- 11.2 Laser drivers with optoelectronic integration.- References.