Showing papers on "Tunable laser published in 2013"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the basis for each technique, recent developments in methods and performance limitations, and present a performance comparison of different techniques, taking data reported over the preceding decade, and draw conclusions from this benchmarking.
Abstract: The detection and measurement of gas concentrations using the characteristic optical absorption of the gas species is important for both understanding and monitoring a variety of phenomena from industrial processes to environmental change. This study reviews the field, covering several individual gas detection techniques including non-dispersive infrared, spectrophotometry, tunable diode laser spectroscopy and photoacoustic spectroscopy. We present the basis for each technique, recent developments in methods and performance limitations. The technology available to support this field, in terms of key components such as light sources and gas cells, has advanced rapidly in recent years and we discuss these new developments. Finally, we present a performance comparison of different techniques, taking data reported over the preceding decade, and draw conclusions from this benchmarking.
1,293 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of diode laser-based spectroscopy is presented, which covers the developments made so far and illustrates the properties of free-running diode lasers.
Abstract: Spectroscopy using tunable diode lasers is an area of research that has gone through a dramatic evolution over the last few years, principally because of new exciting approaches in the field of atomic and molecular spectroscopy. This article attempts to review major recent advancements in the field of diode laser based spectroscopy. The discussion covers the developments made so far in the field of diode lasers and illustrates comprehensively the properties of free-running diode lasers. Since the commercially available free-running diode lasers are not suitable for high-precision spectroscopic studies, various techniques developed so far for converting these free-running diode lasers into true narrow linewidth tunable laser sources are discussed comprehensively herein. The potential uses of diode lasers in different spectroscopic fields and their extensive list of applications have also been included, which may be interesting for the novice and the advanced user as well.
304 citations
TL;DR: A heterogeneously integrated III-V-on-silicon laser is reported, integrating aIII-V gain section, a silicon ring resonator for wavelength selection and two silicon Bragg grating reflectors as back and front mirrors.
Abstract: A heterogeneously integrated III-V-on-silicon laser is reported, integrating a III-V gain section, a silicon ring resonator for wavelength selection and two silicon Bragg grating reflectors as back and front mirrors. Single wavelength operation with a side mode suppression ratio higher than 45 dB is obtained. An output power up to 10 mW at 20 °C and a thermo-optic wavelength tuning range of 8 nm are achieved. The laser linewidth is found to be 1.7 MHz.
187 citations
TL;DR: This is the longest laser wavelength at which graphene-based passive mode-locking has been demonstrated to date and it is reported, for the first time, femtosecond pulse generation from a graphene mode-locked Cr:ZnSe laser at 2500 nm.
Abstract: We report, for the first time to our knowledge, femtosecond pulse generation from a graphene mode-locked Cr:ZnSe laser at 2500 nm. To minimize the insertion losses at the lasing wavelength, high-quality monolayer graphene transferred on a CaF2 substrate was used in the experiments. Once mode-locking was initiated, the laser generated a stable train of 226 fs pulses with a time–bandwidth product of 0.39. The mode-locked laser operated at a pulse repetition rate of 77 MHz and produced 80 mW output power with an incident pump power of 1.6 W. To our knowledge, this is the longest laser wavelength at which graphene-based passive mode-locking has been demonstrated to date.
167 citations
TL;DR: A hybrid silicon tunable Vernier ring laser is designed and fabricated by integration of two intra-cavity ring resonators, hybrid III-V-on-silicon gain elements, and resistive heaters for thermal tuning.
Abstract: A hybrid silicon tunable Vernier ring laser is designed and fabricated by integration of two intra-cavity ring resonators, hybrid III-V-on-silicon gain elements, and resistive heaters for thermal tuning. Thermal tuning of more than 40 nm is demonstrated with side mode suppression ratio greater than 35 dB and linewidth of 338 kHz.
143 citations
TL;DR: The similarities between gain- Switched and Q-switching techniques that will provide tools for the design and optimization of the gain-switched fiber lasers are illustrated and analyzed.
Abstract: We briefly review the development of gain-switched rare-earth-doped fiber lasers and their applications in wavelength conversion to mid-IR, supercontinuum generation, and medicine in recent years. We illustrate the similarities between gain-switching and Q-switching techniques that will provide tools for the design and optimization of the gain-switched fiber lasers. From the nature of the gain-switched fiber lasers, benefits of this kind of lasers to 2-μm region and in-band-pumped (two-level system) laser systems are obvious. Advantages of in-band-pumped 2-μm lasers are discussed and analyzed with a simple numerical simulation in terms of Tm-doped fiber lasers. We also propose the key factors in the development of the gain-switched fiber lasers and predict the future tendency.
136 citations
TL;DR: This work demonstrates single-exciton, single-mode, spectrally tuned lasing from ensembles of optical antenna-designed, colloidal core/shell CdSe/CdS quantum rods deposited on silica microspheres, thereby inducing a large exciton–bi-Exciton energy shift.
Abstract: Whispering-gallery-mode resonators have been extensively used in conjunction with different materials for the development of a variety of photonic devices. Among the latter, hybrid structures, consisting of dielectric microspheres and colloidal core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals as gain media, have attracted interest for the development of microlasers and studies of cavity quantum electrodynamic effects. Here we demonstrate single-exciton, single-mode, spectrally tuned lasing from ensembles of optical antenna-designed, colloidal core/shell CdSe/CdS quantum rods deposited on silica microspheres. We obtain single-exciton emission by capitalizing on the band structure of the specific core/shell architecture that strongly localizes holes in the core, and the two-dimensional quantum confinement of electrons across the elongated shell. This creates a type-II conduction band alignment driven by coulombic repulsion that eliminates non-radiative multi-exciton Auger recombination processes, thereby inducing a large exciton–bi-exciton energy shift. Their ultra-low thresholds and single-mode, single-exciton emission make these hybrid lasers appealing for various applications, including quantum information processing.
134 citations
TL;DR: A high-efficiency 1480 nm cascaded Raman fiber laser is demonstrated with an output power of 301 W, comparable to record power levels achieved with rare-earth-doped fiber lasers in the 1.5 μm wavelength region.
Abstract: High-power fiber lasers operating at the 1.5 μm wavelength region have attractive features, such as eye safety and atmospheric transparency, and cascaded Raman fiber lasers offer a convenient method to obtain high-power sources at these wavelengths. A limitation to power scaling, however, has been the lower conversion efficiency of these lasers. We recently introduced a high-efficiency architecture for high-power cascaded Raman fiber lasers applicable for 1.5 μm fiber lasers. Here we demonstrate further power scaling using this new architecture. Using numerical simulations, we identify the ideal operating conditions for the new architecture. We demonstrate a high-efficiency 1480 nm cascaded Raman fiber laser with an output power of 301 W, comparable to record power levels achieved with rare-earth-doped fiber lasers in the 1.5 μm wavelength region.
122 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a high-contrast grating (HCG) vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) was used as a source for external modulation for 40-Gbps differential-phase-shift-keyed signal with negligible power penalty.
Abstract: Recent advances in high-contrast grating (HCG) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) emitting at 1550 nm is reported in this paper. The novel near-wavelength HCG has an ultrathin structure and broadband reflectivity. It enables a monolithic, simple fabrication process for realizing InP-based VCSELs emitting at ~1550 nm. We report 2.4-mW single-mode output under continuous-wave operation at 15°C. We show that, despite broadened by the Brownian motion, the HCG-VCSEL has a total linewidth of 60 MHz or a coherent length of 5 m in air, and an intrinsic linewidth <;20 MHz. Transmission of directly modulated 10 Gbps over 100-km dispersion-compensated single-mode fiber is demonstrated. Tunable HCG-VCSEL is demonstrated with the HCG integrated with a micro-electro-mechanical structure. Continuous wavelength tuning as wide as 26.3 nm is achieved. The tunable VCSEL was used as a source for external modulation for 40-Gbps differential-phase-shift-keyed signal and transmitted over 100-km dispersion-compensated link with negligible power penalty.
106 citations
TL;DR: A versatile way of controlling the unsaturated loss, modulation depth and saturation fluence of graphene-based saturable absorbers (GSAs) by changing the thickness of a spacer between a single layer graphene (SLG) and a high-reflection mirror is reported.
Abstract: We report a versatile and cost-effective way of controlling the unsaturated loss, modulation depth and saturation fluence of graphene-based saturable absorbers (GSAs), by changing the thickness of a spacer between SLG and a high-reflection mirror. This allows us to modulate the electric field intensity enhancement at the GSA from 0 up to 400%, due to the interference of incident and reflected light at the mirror. The unsaturated loss of the SLG-mirror-assembly can be reduced to$\sim$0. We use this to mode-lock a VECSEL from 935 to 981nm. This approach can be applied to integrate SLG into various optical components, such as output coupler mirrors, dispersive mirrors, dielectric coatings on gain materials. Conversely, it can also be used to increase absorption (up to 10%) in various graphene based photonics and optoelectronics devices, such as photodetectors.
106 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a 1.3-μm distributed-feedback laser with a ridge waveguide structure was used to achieve 50-Gb/s clear eye openings with a back-to-back configuration, and achieved a mean output power of over 5.0 dBm, and a dynamic extinction ratio of 4.5 dB.
Abstract: We demonstrate 50-Gb/s direct modulation by using 1.3-μm distributed-feedback lasers with a ridge waveguide structure. We employed InGaAlAs material for a multiple-quantum well to obtain a low damping factor K, and fabricated a ridge waveguide structure buried in benzocyclobutene to realize a structure with a low parasitic capacitance. In addition, to obtain high maximum frequency relaxation oscillations fr, we designed the cavity length L), and achieved a 3-dB-down frequency bandwidth of 34 GHz. We realized 50-Gb/s clear eye openings with a back-to-back configuration, and achieved a mean output power of over 5.0 dBm, and a dynamic extinction ratio of 4.5 dB. We measured the 50-Gb/s transmission characteristics, and obtained clear eye openings for transmissions over 20-, 40-, and 60-km single-mode fibers (SMF). We also measured the bit-error-rate performance, and obtained an error-free operation and a power penalty of less than 0.5 dB after a 10-km SMF transmission.
TL;DR: Wavelength tunability of lasers is one of the most important parameters for practical applications such as optical communication, environmental monitoring, and spectroscopy analysis and a careful composition control is required in order to obtain high crystal quality stoichiometric NWs.
Abstract: Wavelength tunability of lasers is one of the most important parameters for practical applications such as optical communication, environmental monitoring, and spectroscopy analysis. [ 14–18 ] Recently, tunable semiconductor NW and nanoribbon lasers have been realized, using tunable bandgap nanostructures as the composition tunable gain media. [ 19 –26 ] In this approach, alloyed semiconductor NWs with different bandgaps are necessary components for wavelength tuning; a careful composition control is required in order to obtain high crystal quality stoichiometric NWs. [ 27–29 ] Alternatively, the peak wavelength of NW lasers can also be tuned by changing the geometry of the cavity structures, but the tunable range is limited to about 10 nm. [ 7 , 13 ]
17 Mar 2013
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that record performance heterogeneously integrated telecom wavelength and datacom wavelength lasers, processed simultaneously on the same wafer, are demonstrated.
Abstract: We demonstrate record performance heterogeneously integrated telecom wavelength and datacom wavelength lasers, processed simultaneously on the same wafer. Tunable lasers for telecom applications and uncooled 2x8 WDM laser arrays for datacom applications are presented.
TL;DR: To the best of the knowledge this is the highest power operation of a holmium doped laser at a wavelength >2.15 µm and the significance of background losses and fiber design for achieving efficient operation in holmia doped fibers is discussed.
Abstract: We present a tunable, high power cladding-pumped holmium doped fiber laser. The laser generated >15 W CW average power across a wavelength range of 2.043 – 2.171 μm, with a maximum output power of 29.7 W at 2.120 μm. The laser also produced 18.2 W when operating at 2.171 µm. To the best of our knowledge this is the highest power operation of a holmium doped laser at a wavelength >2.15 µm. We discuss the significance of background losses and fiber design for achieving efficient operation in holmium doped fibers.
TL;DR: It is shown that the absence of coherence collapse or other CW instabilities typical of diode lasers is inherently associated with the high value of the photon to carrier lifetime ratio and the negligible linewidth enhancement factor of quantum cascade lasers.
Abstract: We study the time dependence of the optical power emitted by terahertz and mid-IR quantum cascade lasers in presence of optical reinjection and demonstrate unprecedented continuous wave (CW) emission stability for strong feedback. We show that the absence of coherence collapse or other CW instabilities typical of diode lasers is inherently associated with the high value of the photon to carrier lifetime ratio and the negligible linewidth enhancement factor of quantum cascade lasers.
TL;DR: This work has demonstrated the highest reported output power from a mid-IR ZGP OPO, a cascaded hybrid system consisting of a thulium fibre laser, Ho:YAG solid state laser and a Zinc Germanium Phosphide parametric oscillator.
Abstract: We have demonstrated the highest reported output power from a mid-IR ZGP OPO. The laser is a cascaded hybrid system consisting of a thulium fibre laser, Ho:YAG solid state laser and a Zinc Germanium Phosphide parametric oscillator. The system produces 27 W of output power in the 3-5 μm wavelength range with an M2 = 4.0 when operating in a repetitively q-switched mode, and a modulated peak output power of 99 W at a reduced duty cycle of 25%.
TL;DR: In this paper, a tunable sampled-grating distributed Bragg reflector laser has been monolithically integrated and 2D beam steering has been demonstrated with this on-chip tunable laser source.
Abstract: Two-dimensional optical beam steering using an InP photonic integrated circuit has been demonstrated. Lateral beam steering controlled by a 1-D phased array has been made easier through on-chip interferometer monitors. Longitudinal beam steering controlled by the input wavelength has demonstrated an efficiency of 0.14 °/nm. Very fast beam steering (>107 °/s) in both dimensions has been demonstrated as well. As the latest development, a widely tunable sampled-grating distributed Bragg reflector laser has been monolithically integrated and 2-D beam steering has been demonstrated with this on-chip tunable laser source.
TL;DR: Theoretical and experimental investigations of the behavior of normal-dispersion fiber lasers with nonlinear optical loop mirrors show the use of a loop mirror causes the laser to generate relatively long, flat-topped pulses.
Abstract: Theoretical and experimental investigations of the behavior of normal-dispersion fiber lasers with nonlinear optical loop mirrors are presented. The use of a loop mirror causes the laser to generate relatively long, flat-topped pulses. The pulse energy can be high, but the pulse duration is limited to greater than 300 fs. Experimentally, 8 nJ pulses that can be dechirped to 340 fs duration are obtained. The laser is a step toward an all-fiber, environmentally stable design.
TL;DR: This work interfaced a broadly tunable pulsed laser relying on a difference frequency generation scheme in a GaSe crystal to emit light tunable from 1.55 μm to 16 μm with a commercial PTIR instrument and obtained results that notably surpasses the light diffraction limit throughout the entire mid-IR spectral range.
Abstract: Photothermal induced resonance (PTIR) is a new technique which combines the chemical specificity of infrared (IR) spectroscopy with the lateral resolution of atomic force microscopy (AFM). PTIR requires a pulsed tunable laser for sample excitation and an AFM tip to measure the sample expansion induced by light absorption. The limited tunability of commonly available laser sources constrains the application of the PTIR technique to a portion of the IR spectrum. In this work, a broadly tunable pulsed laser relying on a difference frequency generation scheme in a GaSe crystal to emit light tunable from 1.55 μm to 16 μm (from 6450 cm–1 to 625 cm–1) was interfaced with a commercial PTIR instrument. The result is a materials characterization platform capable of chemical imaging, in registry with atomic force images, with a spatial resolution that notably surpasses the light diffraction limit throughout the entire mid-IR spectral range. PTIR nanoscale spectra and images allow the identification of compositionall...
TL;DR: A fiber laser design that is capable of producing switchable transverse modes through wavelength tuning and adding polarization controllers in the laser cavity, output modes with cylindrical vector polarization are realized.
Abstract: We report a fiber laser design that is capable of producing switchable transverse modes through wavelength tuning. The transverse mode switching is realized by exploiting the particular transverse mode-wavelength association characteristics of the few-mode fiber Bragg grating. Different transverse mode outputs with high spatial mode quality can be obtained by adjusting the oscillating wavelength with a tunable filter within the fiber laser cavity. For each of the spatial mode outputs, the laser operates at the corresponding single wavelength with narrow linewidth. Through adding polarization controllers in the laser cavity, output modes with cylindrical vector polarization are also realized.
TL;DR: A direct diode-pumped all-fiber tunable laser source at 2 μm with a tuning range of more than 250 nm with a high optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) ofMore than 40 dB across the whole tuning range is reported.
Abstract: We report a direct diode-pumped all-fiber tunable laser source at 2µm with a tuning range of more than 250nm. A 3dB power flatness of 200nm with a maximum output power of 30mW at 1930nm was achieved. The laser has a high optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of more than 40dB across the whole tuning range.
TL;DR: In this paper, a non-invasive hybrid, flip-chip integration approach using surface-normal coupling of an un-cooled III/V gain medium with a tunable wavelength selective silicon reflector is proposed.
Abstract: Efficient multi-wavelength sources are essential to realize sub-pJ/bit modulated silicon photonic links for multi-TB/s interconnect applications. From a complete link perspective, we discuss the efficiency requirement for silicon WDM on-chip sources. A waveguide-coupled wall-plug efficiency (WPE) better than 10% is important to complement ultra-low power silicon photonic components for practical implementations. We propose a non-invasive hybrid, flip-chip integration approach using surface-normal coupling of an un-cooled III/V gain medium with a tunable wavelength selective silicon reflector. We show that a tunable, external-cavity WDM laser using such a hybrid integration approach can achieve high waveguide-coupled WPE when optimized. A proof-of-concept demonstration achieved a C-band tunable laser with an output power of more than 6 mW in the silicon waveguide, a tuning range of 15 nm, and a WPE of over 4.5%.
27 Oct 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented the most powerful continuous-wave laser system ever developed all over the world for industrial applications, which is a 101.3 kW industrial fiber laser emitting at wavelength range 1070 nm.
Abstract: 101.3 kW industrial fiber laser emitting at wavelength range 1070 nm would be presented. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most powerful continuous-wave laser system ever developed all over the world for industrial applications.
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TL;DR: In this paper, an agile optical imaging system for optical coherence tomography imaging using a tunable source comprising a wavelength tunable VCL laser is disclosed, which has long coherence length and is capable of high sweep repetition rate.
Abstract: An agile optical imaging system for optical coherence tomography imaging using a tunable source comprising a wavelength tunable VCL laser is disclosed. The tunable source has long coherence length and is capable of high sweep repetition rate, as well as changing the sweep trajectory, sweep speed, sweep repetition rate, sweep linearity, and emission wavelength range on the fly to support multiple modes of OCT imaging. The imaging system also offers new enhanced dynamic range imaging capability for accommodating bright reflections. Multiscale imaging capability allows measurement over orders of magnitude dimensional scales. The imaging system and methods for generating the waveforms to drive the tunable laser in flexible and agile modes of operation are also described.
TL;DR: The soft-aperture Kerr-lens mode-locked Cr:ZnS laser, generating 550 mW of 69 fs nearly transform-limited pulses at 2.39 μm wavelength, corresponds to the shortest-pulse and highest-energy direct femtosecond laser source in the mid-infrared.
Abstract: We report the soft-aperture Kerr-lens mode-locked Cr:ZnS laser, generating 550 mW of 69 fs nearly transform-limited pulses at 2.39 μm wavelength. The pulse energy reached 3.8 nJ at 145 MHz repetition rate, limited by the onset of double-pulsing. This corresponds to the shortest-pulse and highest-energy direct femtosecond laser source in the mid-infrared. Dispersion compensation was achieved by a single chirped mirror and a thin sapphire plate, making the laser design simple, compact and very stable, and operating at ambient air and room temperature. The superb thermal and mechanical properties of Cr:ZnS, exceeding those of Cr:ZnSe and many established femtosecond laser crystals, should allow for further scaling of output power.
TL;DR: In this paper, an electrically driven lambda-scale embedded active region (LEAP) PhC laser has been developed, which operates at up to 95 °C by using an InGaAlAs-based multiple quantum well structure.
Abstract: The introduction of the photonic crystal (PhC) wavelength-scale cavity as a laser cavity enables us to obtain both ultralow threshold current and operating energy. These parameters are essential when using the transmitters in chip-to-chip and on-chip interconnections. To improve the device performance, we employ an ultracompact embedded active region that we call a lambda-scale embedded active-region PhC laser or LEAP laser. We have developed an electrically driven LEAP laser, which operates under room-temperature continuous-wave conditions. To fabricate the electrically driven LEAP laser, we used Zn thermal diffusion and Si ion implantation, respectively, for p-type and n-type doping in an undoped InP layer. However, with previous fabricated devices there was a large leakage current through the substrate and the threshold current was 0.39 mA, which is larger than the expected threshold obtained by optical pumping. To reduce the leakage current, we propose using an InAlAs sacrificial laser instead of an InGaAs layer. The leakage current path through the substrate is effectively suppressed, and as a result, the threshold current is reduced to 7.8 μA, which is the lowest threshold current reported for any laser. Furthermore, the LEAP laser operates at up to 95 °C by using an InGaAlAs-based multiple quantum well structure. We also describe the dynamic characteristics of the laser. The LEAP laser exhibits a maximum 3-dB bandwidth of 16.2 GHz and the modulation current efficiency factor is 53.8 GHz/mA0.5 or 1.7 GHz/μA0.5, which is four times that of a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser. The device is directly modulated by a 12.5-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero signal with a bias voltage of 1.6 V and a bias current of 109 μA, resulting in an energy cost of 14.0 fJ/b. This is the smallest operating energy for any laser. These results indicate that the LEAP laser is highly suitable for use as a transmitter in computercom applications.
TL;DR: A half-wave coupler is used to obtain high side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) without any grating or epitaxial regrowth and temperature induced gain spectrum shift is employed in combination with the Vernier tuning mechanism to extend the wavelength tuning range beyond the free spectral range limit.
Abstract: We report simple and compact V-cavity semiconductor laser capable of full-band wavelength tuning. A half-wave coupler is used to obtain high side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) without any grating or epitaxial regrowth. Temperature induced gain spectrum shift is employed in combination with the Vernier tuning mechanism to extend the wavelength tuning range beyond the free spectral range limit. Wavelength tuning of 50 channels at 100GHz spacing with SMSR up to 38 dB has been demonstrated. We show that with a temperature variation of 35°C, the tuning range can be extended by about 15 nm, in contrast to 0.1 nm/°C for thermo-optic tuning range in grating based lasers. At a fixed temperature, consecutive wavelength tuning of 31 channels was achieved. The response time of the channel switching under the current-tuning regime is measured to be about 20μs. The large tuning range that can cover the full C-band will enable such a simple, compact and potentially low-cost tunable laser to be used in wavelength-agile access and data center networks.
TL;DR: This work has investigated the lasing characteristics of Tm:LSO crystal in three operation regimes: continuous wave (CW), wavelength tunable and passive Q-switching based on graphene, and using a graphene saturable absorber mirror.
Abstract: We have investigated the lasing characteristics of Tm:LSO crystal in three operation regimes: continuous wave (CW), wavelength tunable and passive Q-switching based on graphene. In CW regime, a maximum output power of 0.65 W at 2054.9 nm with a slope efficiency of 21% was achieved. With a quartz plate, a broad wavelength tunable range of 145 nm was obtained, corresponding to a FWHM of 100 nm. By using a graphene saturable absorber mirror, the passively Q-switched Tm:LSO laser produced pulses with duration of 7.8 μs at 2030.8 nm under a repetition rate of 7.6 kHz, corresponding to pulse energy of 14.0 μJ.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors combined optical injection and polarization-rotated optical feedback in a semiconductor laser to induce self-referenced periodic output that is widely tunable by simply varying the dc bias points of the system's master and slave.
Abstract: Combining optical injection and polarization-rotated optical feedback in a semiconductor laser can induce self-referenced periodic output that is widely tunable by simply varying the dc-bias points of the system's master and slave lasers. We observed a feedback-induced reduction of the fundamental period-one oscillation linewidth by more than two orders of magnitude relative to the injection-only case. Performance was found to be negatively affected by the interference between the external injection signal and the residual feedback in the same polarization. The nonlinear dynamics of the optically injected semiconductor laser can be used to minimize sensitivity to fluctuations in the operating points. However, the use of the nonlinear dynamics at high oscillation frequencies is limited by the decreasing strength of the interaction between the circulating intracavity optical field and the carrier density.
TL;DR: The dynamics of Fourier Domain Mode Locked lasers are analyzed and it is shown that the frequency-sweep asymmetry in the output originates from inherent field-matter nonlinearities, resulting in two regions: chaos and mode group stepping.
Abstract: An analysis of the dynamical features in the output of a Fourier Domain Mode Locked laser is presented. An experimental study of the wavelength sweep-direction asymmetry in the output of such devices is undertaken. A mathematical model based on a set of delay differential equations is developed and shown to agree well with experiment.