Feedback induced instabilities in a quantum dot semiconductor laser

doi:10.1364/OE.14.010831

Feedback induced instabilities in a quantum dot semiconductor laser

Olwen Carroll, Ian O'Driscoll, Stephen P. Hegarty, Guillaume Huyet, John Houlihan, Evgeny A. Viktorov, and Paul Mandel »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 14, Issue 22, pp. 10831-10837 (2006)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.14.010831

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Abstract

We analyse the properties of GaAs based quantum dot semiconductor lasers emitting near 1310 nm. The line-width enhancement factor is shown to depend strongly on device temperature, ranging from 1.5 at 20° C to 5 at 50° C. With optical feedback from a distant reflector, devices remained stable at 20° C but displayed a range of instabilities at 50° C, including irregular power drop–outs and periodic pulsations, before entering a chaotic regime. Such dynamical features are unique to quantum dot lasers – quantum well lasers are significantly more unstable under optical feedback making such a clear route to chaos difficult to observe.

OCIS Codes
(140.0140) Lasers and laser optics : Lasers and laser optics
(140.5960) Lasers and laser optics : Semiconductor lasers
(250.0250) Optoelectronics : Optoelectronics

ToC Category:
Optoelectronics

History
Original Manuscript: July 7, 2006
Revised Manuscript: September 6, 2006
Manuscript Accepted: September 8, 2006
Published: October 30, 2006

Citation
Olwen Carroll, Ian O'Driscoll, Stephen P. Hegarty, Guillaume Huyet, John Houlihan, Evgeny A. Viktorov, and Paul Mandel, "Feedback induced instabilities in a quantum dot semiconductor laser," Opt. Express 14, 10831-10837 (2006)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-14-22-10831

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References

M. Bayer and A. Forchel, "Temperature dependence of the exciton homogeneous linewidth in In0.6Ga0.4As/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots," Phys. Rev. B, 65, 041308 (2002). [CrossRef]
C.H. Henry, "Theory of the linewidth of semiconductor lasers," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 18, 259 (1982). [CrossRef]
T.C. Newell, D.J. Bossart, A. Stintz. B. Fuchs and K.J. Malloy, "Gain and linewidth enhancement factor in InAs quantum-dot laser diodes," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 11, (12), 1527-29 (1999). [CrossRef]
B. Dagens, A. Markus, J.X. Chen, J.-G. Provost, D. Make, O. Le Gouezigou, J. Landreau, A. Fiore and B. Thedrez, "Giant linewidth enhancement factor and purely frequency modulated emission from quantum dot lasers," Electron. Lett. 41, 323 (2005). [CrossRef]
S.P. Hegarty, B. Corbett, J.G. McInerney and G. Huyet, "Free-carrier effect on index change in 1.3 ?m quantum-dot lasers," Electron. Lett. 95 (2005).
C. Ribbat, R.L. Sellin, I. Kaiander, F. Hopfer, N.N. Ledentsov, D. Bimberg, A.R. Kovsh, V.M. Ustinov, A.E. Zhukov and M.V. Maximov, "Complete suppression of filamentation and superior beam quality in quantum-dot lasers," Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 952 (2003). [CrossRef]
D. O’Brien, S.P. Hegarty, G. Huyet, J.G. McInerney, T. Kettler, M. Laemmlin, D. Bimberg, V.M. Ustinov, A.E. Zhukov, S.S. Mikhrin, and A.R. Kovsh, "Feedback sensitivity of 1.3 ?m InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers," Electron. Lett. 39, 1819 (2003). [CrossRef]
D. O’Brien, S.P. Hegarty, G. Huyet and A.V. Uskov, "Sensitivity of quantum dot semiconductor lasers to optical feedback," Opt. Lett. 29, 1072 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
J. Helms and K. Petermann, "A simple analytic expression for the stable operation range of laser diodes with optical feedback," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 26, 833 (1990). [CrossRef]
E.A. Viktorov, P. Mandel, I. O’Driscoll, O. Carroll, G. Huyet, J. Houlihan and Y. Tanguy, "Low-frequency fluctuations in two-state quantum dot lasers," Opt. Lett. 31, 2302 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
L. F. Lester, A. Stintz, H. Li, T. C. Newell, E. A. Pease, B. A. Fuchs, and K. J. Malloy, "Optical characteristics of 1.24 ?m InAs quantum-dot laser diodes," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 11, (8), 931-933 (1999). [CrossRef]
B.W. Hakki and T.L. Paoli, "CW degradation at 300K of GaAs double-heterostructure junction lasers. II. Electronic gain," J. Appl. Phys. 44, 4113 (1973). [CrossRef]
J. Muszalski, J. Houlihan, G. Huyet and B. Corbett, "Measurement of linewidth enhancement factor of self-assembled quantum dot semiconductor lasers emitting at 1310 nm," Electron. Lett. 40, 128 (2004). [CrossRef]
A. Olsson and C.L. Tang, "Coherent optical interference effects in external-cavity semiconductor lasers," IEEE J. Quantum Electron., 17, 1320 (1981). [CrossRef]
C. Risch and C. Voumard, "Self-pulsation in the output intensity and spectrum of GaAs-AlGaAs cw diode lasers coupled to a frequency-selective external optical cavity," J. Appl. Phys., 48, 2083-2085 (1977). [CrossRef]
G. Huyet, S.P. Hegarty, M. Giudici, B. de Bruyn, and J.G. McInerney, "Statistical properties of the dynamics of semiconductor lasers with optical feedback," Europhys. Lett. 40, 619 (1997). [CrossRef]

Bayer, M.
Bimberg, D.
Bossart, D.J.
Carroll, O.
Chen, J.X.
Corbett, B.
Dagens, B.
de Bruyn, B.
Fiore, A.
Forchel, A.
Fuchs, B. A.
Giudici, M.
Hakki, B.W.
Hegarty, S.P.
Helms, J.
Henry, C.H.
Hopfer, F.
Houlihan, J.
Huyet, G.
Kaiander, I.
Kettler, T.
Kovsh, A.R.
Laemmlin, M.
Landreau, J.
Le Gouezigou, O.
Ledentsov, N.N.
Lester, L. F.
Li, H.
Make, D.
Malloy, K. J.
Mandel, P.
Markus, A.
Maximov, M.V.
McInerney, J.G.
Mikhrin, S.S.
Muszalski, J.
Newell, T. C.
Newell, T.C.
O’Brien, D.
O’Driscoll, I.
Olsson, A.
Paoli, T.L.
Pease, E. A.
Petermann, K.
Provost, J.-G.
Ribbat, C.
Risch, C.
Sellin, R.L.
Stintz, A.
Tang, C.L.
Tanguy, Y.
Thedrez, B.
Uskov, A.V.
Ustinov, V.M.
Viktorov, E.A.
Voumard, C.
Zhukov, A.E.

Appl. Phys. Lett.

C. Ribbat, R.L. Sellin, I. Kaiander, F. Hopfer, N.N. Ledentsov, D. Bimberg, A.R. Kovsh, V.M. Ustinov, A.E. Zhukov and M.V. Maximov, "Complete suppression of filamentation and superior beam quality in quantum-dot lasers," Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 952 (2003). [CrossRef]

Electron. Lett.

D. O’Brien, S.P. Hegarty, G. Huyet, J.G. McInerney, T. Kettler, M. Laemmlin, D. Bimberg, V.M. Ustinov, A.E. Zhukov, S.S. Mikhrin, and A.R. Kovsh, "Feedback sensitivity of 1.3 ?m InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers," Electron. Lett. 39, 1819 (2003). [CrossRef]
B. Dagens, A. Markus, J.X. Chen, J.-G. Provost, D. Make, O. Le Gouezigou, J. Landreau, A. Fiore and B. Thedrez, "Giant linewidth enhancement factor and purely frequency modulated emission from quantum dot lasers," Electron. Lett. 41, 323 (2005). [CrossRef]
S.P. Hegarty, B. Corbett, J.G. McInerney and G. Huyet, "Free-carrier effect on index change in 1.3 ?m quantum-dot lasers," Electron. Lett. 95 (2005).
J. Muszalski, J. Houlihan, G. Huyet and B. Corbett, "Measurement of linewidth enhancement factor of self-assembled quantum dot semiconductor lasers emitting at 1310 nm," Electron. Lett. 40, 128 (2004). [CrossRef]

Europhys. Lett.

G. Huyet, S.P. Hegarty, M. Giudici, B. de Bruyn, and J.G. McInerney, "Statistical properties of the dynamics of semiconductor lasers with optical feedback," Europhys. Lett. 40, 619 (1997). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

A. Olsson and C.L. Tang, "Coherent optical interference effects in external-cavity semiconductor lasers," IEEE J. Quantum Electron., 17, 1320 (1981). [CrossRef]
C.H. Henry, "Theory of the linewidth of semiconductor lasers," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 18, 259 (1982). [CrossRef]
J. Helms and K. Petermann, "A simple analytic expression for the stable operation range of laser diodes with optical feedback," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 26, 833 (1990). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

T.C. Newell, D.J. Bossart, A. Stintz. B. Fuchs and K.J. Malloy, "Gain and linewidth enhancement factor in InAs quantum-dot laser diodes," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 11, (12), 1527-29 (1999). [CrossRef]
L. F. Lester, A. Stintz, H. Li, T. C. Newell, E. A. Pease, B. A. Fuchs, and K. J. Malloy, "Optical characteristics of 1.24 ?m InAs quantum-dot laser diodes," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 11, (8), 931-933 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

B.W. Hakki and T.L. Paoli, "CW degradation at 300K of GaAs double-heterostructure junction lasers. II. Electronic gain," J. Appl. Phys. 44, 4113 (1973). [CrossRef]
C. Risch and C. Voumard, "Self-pulsation in the output intensity and spectrum of GaAs-AlGaAs cw diode lasers coupled to a frequency-selective external optical cavity," J. Appl. Phys., 48, 2083-2085 (1977). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

Phys. Rev. B

M. Bayer and A. Forchel, "Temperature dependence of the exciton homogeneous linewidth in In0.6Ga0.4As/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots," Phys. Rev. B, 65, 041308 (2002). [CrossRef]

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