A Directly Modulated Laterally Coupled Distributed Feedback Laser Array Based on Sio2 Planarization Process

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Directly Modulated Laterally Coupled Distributed Feedback Laser Array Based on Sio2 Planarization Process applied sciences Article A Directly Modulated Laterally Coupled Distributed Feedback Laser Array Based on SiO2 Planarization Process Qichao Wang 1, Jian Wang 1,2,*, Changzheng Sun 1,2 , Bing Xiong 1,2, Yi Luo 1,2,3,*, Zhibiao Hao 1,2, Yanjun Han 1,2,3, Lai Wang 1 , Hongtao Li 1 and Jiadong Yu 1,2,3 1 Beijing National Research Centre for Information Science and Technology, Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; [email protected] (Q.W.); [email protected] (C.S.); [email protected] (B.X.); [email protected] (Z.H.); [email protected] (Y.H.); [email protected] (L.W.); [email protected] (H.L.); [email protected] (J.Y.) 2 Center for Flexible Electronics Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China 3 Flexible Intelligent Optoelectronic Device and Technology Center, Institute of Flexible Electronics Technology of THU, Jiaxing 314006, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (J.W.); [email protected] (Y.L.); Tel.: +86-10-6279-8300 (J.W.); +86-10-6279-4900 (Y.L.) Abstract: Low-cost and high-speed single-mode semiconductor lasers are increasingly required as wide-band access fiber communication expands in recent years. Here, a high-speed laterally coupled distributed feedback (LC-DFB) laser array is achieved based on a SiO2 planarization process. The device exhibits low threshold currents of about 12 mA and high slope efficiencies over 0.26 W/A. Stable single mode operation and high-speed performance are realized with side mode suppression ratios (SMSR) over 45 dB, and 3-dBe bandwidths exceed 14 GHz for all four channels. Such a high-speed and process simple LC-DFB laser array shows great potential to the low-cost fiber communication networks. Keywords: laterally coupled gratings; high-speed modulation; SiO2 Planarization; 1.3 µm; Citation: Wang, Q.; Wang, J.; Sun, C.; distributed feedback laser Xiong, B.; Luo, Y.; Hao, Z.; Han, Y.; Wang, L.; Li, H.; Yu, J. A Directly Modulated Laterally Coupled Distributed Feedback Laser Array 1. Introduction Based on SiO2 Planarization Process. Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 221. https:// High-speed optical communication develops rapidly with the rapid increase of the doi.org/10.3390/app11010221 amount of data. Low-cost and high-performance laser sources, such as distributed feedback (DFB) laser sources, are urgently needed. Various high-speed DFB lasers were demon- Received: 8 December 2020 strated [1,2], but most of them require at least one epitaxial regrowth step after grating Accepted: 25 December 2020 definition and thus have complicated process and high fabrication costs. Published: 29 December 2020 Laterally coupled (LC) DFB lasers use surface gratings beside the ridge waveguide to select longitudinal mode; thus, they circumvent the complex regrowth step and have the Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu- potential for low-cost fiber communication applications. LC-DFB lasers with good static tral with regard to jurisdictional claims performance, e.g., side mode suppression ratio (SMSR), were reported [3–6]. However, in published maps and institutional there are only a few reports about the high frequency performance, e.g., modulation affiliations. bandwidth [7–9]. It is actually a trade-off between the single mode performance and the modulated bandwidth, and it is especially challenging to achieve a high modulation bandwidth for LC-DFB lasers, which often suffer from a low coupling coefficient and thus Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Li- have a long cavity to select longitudinal mode. censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This In this paper, a high-speed LC-DFB laser array with deep and planar lateral gratings is article is an open access article distributed demonstrated. We have developed a SiO2 planarization process to simplify the fabrication. under the terms and conditions of the The array exhibits low threshold currents of about 12 mA, high slope efficiencies over Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 0.26 W/A and high SMSRs over 45 dB. The 3-dBe small-signal modulation bandwidths license (https://creativecommons.org/ exceed 14 GHz for all four channels under injection currents of 100 mA. Such an LC- licenses/by/4.0/). Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 221. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010221 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 221 2 of 6 DFB laser array is very promising for applications of high-speed and low-cost optical communication. 2. Device Structure, Design and Fabrication Methods Figure1a depicts the schematic of the proposed LC-DFB laser array in which laterally coupled gratings are along both sides of the ridge waveguide to provide both lateral optical Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 6 confinement and longitudinal feedback. A 2-µm-thick SiO2 dielectric layer supports the planar electrodes and passivates the side wall of ridge waveguides. A p-type electrode pad with a diameter of 100LC-DFBµm introduces laser array is a very pad promising capacitance for applicationsC of 0.18 of pF. high-speed and low-cost optical The intrinsic modulationcommunication. speed of DMLs is limited by the relaxation oscillation fre- quency ( f ). The f is given by [10]. r r 2. Device Structure, Design and Fabrication Methods Figures 1a depicts thep schematic of the proposed LC-DFB laser array in which laterally coupled gratingsGnga arehi along( bothI − Isidesth) of theq ridge waveguide to provide both lateral op- fr = = D (I − Ith) (1) tical confinementqV and longitudinal2p feedback. A 2-μm-thick SiO2 dielectric layer supports the planar electrodes and passivates the side wall of ridge waveguides. A p-type electrode pad with a diameter of 100 μm introduces a pad capacitance C of 0.18= pF. where G is the active regionThe optical intrinsic confinement modulation factor, speed ofng DMLsis the is group limited velocity, by the relaxationa ¶g /oscillation¶N [11] fre- is the differential gain, quencyhi is the ( internal). The is quantum given by [10]. efficiency, and I and Ith are the bias current and the threshold current, respectively. q is the elementary charge,( ) and V is the active volume. q = ( ) =( ) (1) The D factor D = 1/2p Gngahi /(qV) describes the slope of fr on the square root of the bias current above the thresholdwhere is [the12 ].active region optical confinement factor, is the group velocity, = ⁄ Strained multi-quantum [11] wells is the (MQWs)differential weregain, designed is the internal for quantum high speed efficiency, modulations and and are the bias current and the threshold current, respectively. is the elementary charge, which considered theand improving is the active of the volume. differential The D factor gain =1a [13⁄ ]. 2 The( epitaxial)()⁄ describes structure the isslope the same as Li, A.K., whichof on consists the square of root five of periods the bias current of 5-nm-thick above the threshold InGaAlAs [12]. quantum-well and 8.5-nm-thick InGaAlAsStrained barrier multi-quantum [14]. The optical wells (MQWs) confinement were designed factor for of high the activespeed modulations region which considered the improving of the differential gain [13]. The epitaxial structure is G is also an important parameter for fr. The relationship of the coupling coefficient k the same as Li, A.K., which consists of five periods of 5-nm-thick InGaAlAs quantum-well and G versus the ridgeand width 8.5-nm-thick are calculated InGaAlAs bybarrier the [14]. finite The elementoptical confinement analysis factor (FEA) of methodthe active re- as shown in Figure1b.gion The opticalis also an confinement important parameter factor for G.increases The relationship with of the the coupling width ofcoefficient the waveguide, yet a narrowκ and waveguide versus the isridge needed width forare calculated an LC-DFB by the to finite increase element the analysis grating (FEA) coupling coefficient k.method A narrow as shown waveguide in Figure 1b. would The optical result confinement in more power factor leakage increases out with of the the width of the waveguide, yet a narrow waveguide is needed for an LC-DFB to increase the grating waveguides, thus decreasingcouplingG coefficient. However, κ. A itnarrow enhances waveguide the optical would result field in in more the power grating leakage region out of and increases k. The strengththe waveguides, of the thus grating’s decreasing feedback . However, is it described enhances the by optical the field normalized in the grating coupling coefficient (kregionL). The and cavityincreases length . The strength is inverse of the to grating’sk when feedbackkL is is a described constant. by the The normal-fr is proportional to theizedk and couplingG by coefficient Equation (κL). (1). The cavity Theridge length is width inverse is to designedκ when κL is as a constant. 1.2 µm The is proportional to the and by Equation (1). The ridge width is designed as 1.2 μm considering a compromiseconsidering between a compromisek and G. between Figure1c and shows. Figure the variation 1c shows the of variationk versus of dutyκ versus cycle γ assuming a ridgeduty widthcycle γ assuming of 1.2 µ ma ridge and width a grating of 1.2 μ orderm and ofa grating 3. A dutyorder of cycle 3. A ofduty 0.9 cycle is of designed to obtain a higher0.9 is designedk taking to obtain the etching a higher broadening taking the etching effect broadening into account. effect into account. (a) (b) (c) FigureFigure 1. 1.( a(a)) SchematicSchematic of the of thestructure structure of the laterally of the laterallycoupled distributed coupled feedback distributed (LC-DFB) feedback laser array (LC-DFB) with deep laserand planar lateral gratings. (b) κ (blue line) and (red line) versus the ridge width with the third order gratings and a duty arrayfactor with of 0.5.
Recommended publications
  • New Waveguide-Type HOM Damper for the ALS Storage Ring RF Cavities
    Proceedings of EPAC 2004, Lucerne, Switzerland NEW WAVEGUIDE-TYPE HOM DAMPER FOR ALS STORAGE RING CAVITIES*. S.Kwiatkowski, K. Baptiste, J. Julian LBL, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA Abstract The ALS storage ring 500 MHz RF system uses two re-entrant accelerating cavities powered by a single This effect could be compensated by adding a second 320kW PHILLIPS YK1305 klystron. During several vacuum pump if necessary (which would pump the cavity years of initial operation, the RF cavities were not via the power coupler port). The cut-off frequency for the equipped with effective passive HOM damper systems, lowest TE mode (TE11 mode) of the single ridge circular however, longitudinal beam stability was achieved with waveguide, used in our damper, is 890MHz and the total careful cavity temperature control and by implementing length is 600mm. The single ridge geometry of the an active longitudinal feedback system (LFB), which was waveguide was chosen as it allows to dump both often operating at the edge of its capabilities. As a result, symmetrical and nonsymmetrical HOM’s. longitudinal beam stability was a significant operations issue at the ALS. During three consecutive shutdown DESIGN PROCESS periods (April2002, 2003 and 2004) we installed E-type The design process of the new ALS damper took HOM dampers on the main and third harmonic cavities. several steps. First with the help of 2-D SUPERLANS These devices dramatically decreased the Q-values of the code, the main parameters of the longitudinal HOM longitudinal anti-symmetric HOM modes. The next step spectrum have been determined. Then the cross-section of is to damp the remaining longitudinal HOM modes in the the HOM damper waveguide was optimized with the help fundamental RF cavities below the synchrotron radiation of HFSS S11 processor.
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Developments in Modulation Spectroscopy for Methane Detection Based on Tunable Diode Laser
    applied sciences Review Recent Developments in Modulation Spectroscopy for Methane Detection Based on Tunable Diode Laser Fei Wang , Shuhai Jia *, Yonglin Wang and Zhenhua Tang Department of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-131-5206-8353 Received: 30 April 2019; Accepted: 11 July 2019; Published: 15 July 2019 Abstract: In this review, methane absorption characteristics mainly in the near-infrared region and typical types of currently available semiconductor lasers are described. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS), frequency modulation spectroscopy (FMS), and two-tone frequency modulation spectroscopy (TTFMS), as major techniques in modulation spectroscopy, are presented in combination with the application of methane detection. Keywords: methane; tunable diode laser; wavelength modulation spectroscopy; frequency modulation spectroscopy; two-tone frequency modulation spectroscopy 1. Introduction Due to global warming and climate change, the monitoring and detection of atmospheric gas concentration has come to be of great value. Although the average background level of methane (CH4) (~1.89 ppm) in the earth’s atmosphere is roughly 200 times lower than that of CO2 (~400 ppm), the contribution of CH4 to the greenhouse effect per mole is 25 times larger than CO2 [1,2]. Therefore, a fast, accurate, and precise monitoring of trace greenhouse gas of CH4 is essential. There are some methods for detecting methane, including chemical processes [3–6] and optical spectroscopy [7–9]. Optical spectroscopy for detecting gases is based on the Beer-Lambert law [10–12], in which the light attenuation is related to the effective length of the sample in an absorbing medium, and to the concentration of absorbing species, respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • Light-Matter Interaction Processes Behind Intra-Cavity Mode Locking Devices”; SPIE Conf
    Time-gating processes in intra-cavity mode-locking devices like saturable absorbers and Kerr cells Narasimha S. Prasad NASA Langley Research Center, 5. N. Dryden St., MS 468, Hampton, VA 23681 [email protected] and Chandrasekhar Roychoudhuri Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 [email protected] ABSTRACT Photons are non-interacting entities. Light beams do not interfere by themselves. Light beams constituting different laser modes (frequencies) are not capable of re-arranging their energies from extended time- domain to ultra-short time-domain by themselves without the aid of light-matter interactions with suitable intra-cavity devices. In this paper we will discuss the time-gating properties of intra-cavity "mode-locking" devices that actually help generate a regular train of high energy wave packets. Key words: Photons, light-matter interaction, Mode-locking, Kerr devices 1. CONTRADICTIONS IN MODE LOCK THEORY & RESULTS The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the community, involved in promoting and developing the technologies of ultra short pulse generation using various kinds of laser cavities incorporating “mode locking” devices, that we need a new mode of modeling and analysis that can represent actual physical processes behind the short pulse generation [1,2]. Analysis of the output spectrum (carrier frequency distribution) indicates that the physical process behind short pulse generation is not “mode locking”. It is simply time-gating or Q-switching, although down-selection of in-phase spontaneous and stimulated emission is of tremendous help in initiating and sustaining the ultra short pulse generation. However, the dominant role is played by the time-gating properties of the intra-cavity devices.
    [Show full text]
  • Mechanisms of Spatiotemporal Mode-Locking
    Mechanisms of Spatiotemporal Mode-Locking Logan G. Wright1, Pavel Sidorenko1, Hamed Pourbeyram1, Zachary M. Ziegler1, Andrei Isichenko1, Boris A. Malomed2,3, Curtis R. Menyuk4, Demetrios N. Christodoulides5, and Frank W. Wise1 1. School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA 2. Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, and the Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel 3. ITMO University, St. Petersburg 197101, Russia 4. Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, USA 5. CREOL/College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA Abstract Mode-locking is a process in which different modes of an optical resonator establish, through nonlinear interactions, stable synchronization. This self-organization underlies light sources that enable many modern scientific applications, such as ultrafast and high-field optics and frequency combs. Despite this, mode-locking has almost exclusively referred to self-organization of light in a single dimension - time. Here we present a theoretical approach, attractor dissection, for understanding three-dimensional (3D) spatiotemporal mode-locking (STML). The key idea is to find, for each distinct type of 3D pulse, a specific, minimal reduced model, and thus to identify the important intracavity effects responsible for its formation and stability. An intuition for the results follows from the “minimum loss principle,” the idea that a laser strives to find the configuration of intracavity light that minimizes loss (maximizes gain extraction). Through this approach, we identify and explain several distinct forms of STML.
    [Show full text]
  • Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy for Quantitative Absorption Measurements Piotr Zalicki and Richard N
    Cavity ring-down spectroscopy for quantitative absorption measurements Piotr Zalicki and Richard N. Zare Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 ~Received 19 August 1994; accepted 4 October 1994! We examine under what conditions cavity ring-down spectroscopy ~CRDS! can be used for quantitative diagnostics of molecular species. We show that CRDS is appropriate for diagnostics of species whose absorption features are wider than the spacing between longitudinal modes of the optical cavity. For these species, the absorption coefficient can be measured by CRDS without a knowledge of the pulse characteristics provided that the cavity ring-down decay is exponential. We find that the exponential ring-down decay is obeyed when the linewidth of the absorption feature is much broader than the linewidth of the light circulating in the cavity. This requirement for exponential decay may be relaxed when the sample absorption constitutes only a small fraction of the cavity loss and, consequently, the sample absorbance is less than unity during the decay time. Under this condition the integrated area of a CRDS spectral line approximates well the integrated absolute absorption coefficient, which allows CRDS to determine absolute number densities ~concentrations!. We determine conditions useful for CRDS diagnostics by analyzing how the absorption loss varies with the sample absorbance for various ratios of the laser pulse linewidth to the absorption linewidth for either a Gaussian or a Lorentzian absorption line shape. © 1995 American Institute of Physics. I. INTRODUCTION of the incident light, the CRDS spectrum of the gas is ob- tained. Cavity ring-down spectroscopy ~CRDS! is a new laser Several authors postulated that light in a cavity filled absorption technique that has the potential for the quantita- with an absorbing gas decays exponentially with the ring- tive detection of atomic and molecular species with a high down time t given by2,5,7 sensitivity, comparable to photoacoustic spectroscopy.
    [Show full text]
  • A Multi Wavelength CW Source Based on Longitudinal Mode Carving
    JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 20, NO. 8, AUGUST 2002 1493 A Multiwavelength CW Source Based on Longitudinal Mode-Carving of Supercontinuum Generated in Fibers and Noise Performance Özdal Boyraz and Mohammed N. Islam, Senior Member, IEEE Abstract—We experimentally demonstrate novel multiple wave- brightness. Since passive filters set its wavelength stability, length continuous wave (CW) sources based on longitudinal mode- WDM sources carved from a broadband light source can satisfy carving of supercontinuum (SC) generated in optical fibers. We current demand in wavelength stability. show that by longitudinal mode-carving of the SC we can generate > 600 wavelength channels with 10-GHz precise channel spacing In our experiments, we show that novel CW WDM sources and 6-dBm/ch power level at the 48-nm flat region ( 0.5-dB based on longitudinal mode-carving of supercontinuum (SC) spectral uniformity) of the SC. By full utilization of the gener- generated in optical fibers will be a strong candidate for future ated SC, the channel count exceeding 1600 can be accomplished. optical networks because of its low amplitude noise degrada- Moreover, we study the noise performance of the carved CW sig- tion ( 4 dB/Hz), broad bandwidth ( 140 nm), high brightness nals experimentally and theoretically. Experimentally, we measure the relative intensity noise (RIN) to characterize the noise perfor- ( 6 dBm/ch), high amplitude uniformity ( 0.5 dB), high mance of the generated CW signals. An average RIN value of 107 wavelength stability, and periodicity. dB/Hz is obtained. Compared with the CW sources carved directly The spectrum-slicing scheme for generating a CW source, from the pump laser, a 4-dB/Hz RIN degradation is measured.
    [Show full text]
  • Ingan/Gan Distributed Feedback Laser Diodes with Surface Gratings and Sidewall Gratings
    micromachines Article InGaN/GaN Distributed Feedback Laser Diodes with Surface Gratings and Sidewall Gratings Zejia Deng 1,2, Junze Li 1,2,*, Mingle Liao 1,2, Wuze Xie 1,2 and Siyuan Luo 1,2 1 Microsystems and Terahertz Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Chengdu 610200, China; [email protected] (Z.D.); [email protected] (M.L.); [email protected] (W.X.); [email protected] (S.L.) 2 Institute of Electronic Engineering, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621999, China * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 15 September 2019; Accepted: 12 October 2019; Published: 14 October 2019 Abstract: A variety of potential applications such as visible light communications require laser sources with a narrow linewidth and a single wavelength emission in the blue light region. The gallium nitride (GaN)-based distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) is a promising light source that meets these requirements. Here, we present GaN DFB-LDs that share growth and fabrication processes and have surface gratings and sidewall gratings on the same epitaxial substrate, which makes LDs with different structures comparable. By electrical pulse pumping, single-peak emissions at 398.5 and 399.95 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.32 and 0.23 nm were achieved, respectively. The surface and sidewall gratings were fabricated alongside the p-contact metal stripe by electrical beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching. DFB LDs with 2.5 µm ridge width exhibit a smaller FWHM than those with 5 and 10 µm ridge widths, indicating that the narrow ridge width is favorable for the narrowing of the line width of the DFB LD.
    [Show full text]
  • Resonant Cavities and Waveguides
    Resonant Cavities and Waveguides 12 Resonant Cavities and Waveguides This chapter initiates our study of resonant accelerators., The category includes rf (radio-frequency) linear accelerators, cyclotrons, microtrons, and synchrotrons. Resonant accelerators have the following features in common: 1. Applied electric fields are harmonic. The continuous wave (CW) approximation is valid; a frequency-domain analysis is the most convenient to use. In some accelerators, the frequency of the accelerating field changes over the acceleration cycle; these changes are always slow compared to the oscillation period. 2. The longitudinal motion of accelerated particles is closely coupled to accelerating field variations. 3. The frequency of electromagnetic oscillations is often in the microwave regime. This implies that the wavelength of field variations is comparable to the scale length of accelerator structures. The full set of the Maxwell equations must be used. Microwave theory relevant to accelerators is reviewed in this chapter. Chapter 13 describes the coupling of longitudinal particle dynamics to electromagnetic waves and introduces the concept of phase stability. The theoretical tools of this chapter and Chapter 13 will facilitate the study of specific resonant accelerators in Chapters 14 and 15. As an introduction to frequency-domain analysis, Section 12.1 reviews complex exponential representation of harmonic functions. The concept of complex impedance for the analysis of passive element circuits is emphasized. Section 12.2 concentrates on a lumped element model for 356 Resonant Cavities and Waveguides the fundamental mode of a resonant cavity. The Maxwell equations are solved directly in Section 12.3 to determine the characteristics of electromagnetic oscillations in resonant cavities.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigating Longitudinal Laser Modes Using a Scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer
    Investigating Longitudinal Laser Modes using a Scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer Rabiya Salman, Alamdar Hussain and Muhammad Sabieh Anwar Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, LUMS Version 2; May 27, 2014 The Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer is an optical instrument which uses multiple-beam inter- ference. In its simplest configuration, the Fabry-Perot cavity consists of two plane, parallel, highly reflecting surfaces separated by some distance d. We will instead use a confocal FP interferometer (Figure 1) which has spherical mirrors separated by roughly their radius of cur- vature. In this experiment we will learn to characterize the FP interferometer and use it to diagnose the longitudinal modes of a HeNe laser. Essential pre-lab reading:\Introduction to Optics" by F. L. Pedrotti, L. S. Pedrotti and L. M. Pedrotti, Pearson Education, 2008; (Section 8:4 to 8:9). Scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer SA200-5B Manual, Thorlabs, \http://www.thorlabs.com/thorcat/19400/SA200- 5B-Manual.pdf" FP Interferometer Controller SA201 Manual, Throlabs, \http://www.thorlabs.com/thorcat/6600/SA201- Manual.pdf" HeNe Laser HRR020 Manual, Throlabs,\http://www.thorlabs.com/thorcat/12100/HRR020- Manual.pdf"; (Page 7 to 9) 1 Test Your Understanding For spectral analysis, the length of FP cavity is varied by a small amount and the transmitted intensity is monitored. Consider a parallel mirror FP interferometer which is to be used to resolve the mode structure (allowable wavelengths in a laser cavity) of a green laser operating at 532 nm. The frequency separation between the modes i.e., the minimum spectral line width to be resolved (∆ν1=2), is 200 MHz.
    [Show full text]
  • Monolithic Single Longitudinal Mode Nd-Laser Using a Volume Bragg Grating
    Monolithic single longitudinal mode Nd-laser using a volume Bragg grating Ida H¨aggstr¨om Master of Science Thesis Laser Physics Department of Applied Physics School of Engineering Science KTH Stockholm, Sweden 2006 TRITA-FYS: 2006-80 ISSN: 0280-316X ISRN: KTH/FYS/–06:80-SE Abstract In this master thesis project a monolithic, single longitudinal mode laser cavity was designed and constructed. The laser output was frequency-locked by the use of a volume Bragg grating. Two gain media were proposed, Nd:glass and Nd:GdVO4. The glass was found inadequate for this project due to it’s poor thermal properties, leading to only GdVO4 being used. The cavity components were attached by PDMS rubber, forming a compact, monolithic cavity of optical length 6.4 mm. The resulting laser output was operating in single longitudinal mode with a bandwidth of < 360 MHz with a stability of < 66 MHz over 10 s, attained using a Fabry-P´erotinterferometer. The maximum laser power in TEM00 mode was 30 mW for 2.1 W pumping, with a 1.5% power fluctuation. Temperature adjustment of the cavity allowed continous tuning of the laser frequency corresponding to an interval of 84 GHz (0.32 nm). Sammanfattning I detta examensarbete designades och konstruerades en monoli- tisk laserkavitet som opererade i en enda longitudinell mod. Tv˚a laserf¨orst¨arkarmaterial studerades, Nd:glas och Nd:GdVO4. Glaset visade sig vara otillr¨ackligt f¨or detta projekt p˚agrund av sina d˚aliga termiska egenskaper, varvid endast Nd:GdVO4 anv¨andes. Kavitets- komponenterna sammanfogades med hj¨alp av PDMS-gummi f¨or att bilda en kompakt, monolitisk kavitet av optisk l¨angd 6.4 mm.
    [Show full text]
  • Control of Laser Oscillators 7
    CHAPTER SEVEN Control of Laser Oscillators 7 Control of Laser Oscillators 7.1 Introduction During laser oscillation one or more distinct mode frequencies can be emitted, which in the general case behave as independent monochro- matic oscillations. When more than one mode oscillates this multimode operation usually corresponds to simultaneous oscillation on more than one longitudinal mode of a single transverse mode of the cavity. It is also possible for more than one transverse mode to oscillate simultaneously, but this is not of great importance or interest to us here. In this chapter we will examine how multimode operation can be suppressed in favor of single mode operation. We shall also see how many simultaneously oscil- lating modes can become locked together in phase to produce a form of laser oscillation in which the laser output becomes a train of very short pulses. This mode-locked operation is of considerable fundamental and practical interest and we shall examine the various ways in which the phenomenon can be induced. 7.2 Multimode Operation We have seen that in an inhomogeneously broadened laser simultaneous oscillation is possible on more than one longitudinal mode. These oscilla- tions can be coupled to each other by applying an external perturbation, as we shall see shortly. However, in the absence of such perturbation, 150 Control of Laser Oscillators each mode oscillates independently of the others. We can represent the total electric field of the laser beam as N E(t)= En(t)cos[ωnt + φn(t)], (7.1) n=1 3 where ωn is the frequency of the nth of N modes and φn(t) is its phase.
    [Show full text]
  • Coupled Wave Analysis of Two-Dimensional Second Order
    COUPLED WAVE ANALYSIS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL SECOND ORDER SURFACE-EMITTING DISTRIBUTED FEEDBACK LASERS Thesis Submitted to The School of Engineering of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Master of Science in Electro-Optics By Yangfei Shen UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Dayton, Ohio May, 2016 COUPLED WAVE ANALYSIS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL SECOND ORDER SURFACE-EMITTING DISTRIBUTED FEEDBACK LASERS Name: Shen, Yangfei APPROVED BY: ____________________________ ____________________________ Andrew Sarangan, Ph.D. ,P.E. Partha Banerjee, Ph.D. Advisory Committee Chairman Committee Member Professor Director and Professor Electro-Optics Program Electro-Optics Program ____________________________ Qiwen Zhan, Ph.D. Committee Member Professor Electro-Optics Program ____________________________ ____________________________ John G. Weber, Ph.D. Eddy M. Rojas, Ph.D., M.A., P.E. Associate Dean Dean, School of Engineering School of Engineering ii © Copyright by Yangfei Shen All rights reserved 2016 iii ABSTRACT COUPLED WAVE ANALYSIS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL SECOND ORDER SURFACE-EMITTING DISTRIBUTED FEEDBACK LASERS Name: Shen, Yangfei University of Dayton Advisor: Dr. Andrew Sarangan A distributed feedback laser (DFB) is a type of semiconductor laser where the cavity is periodically structured as a diffraction grating. This allows the same grating region to act as a resonator, out-coupler and the gain region simultaneously. While conventional DFB lasers emit light along its edges, by modifying the grating structure, it is possible to make the output appear from the top surface. This is known as the surface- emitting DFB laser. This thesis will discuss the case in which a two-dimensional grating (which consists of a 2D grid of holes or pillars) etched into the top cladding surface of the waveguide.
    [Show full text]