The influence of extra carrier noise on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

J. Danckaert, M. C. Soriano, G. Van Der Sande, M. Peeters, G. Verschaffelt, M. Yousefi, D. Lenstra

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In semiconductor lasers, spontaneous recombination of electrons and holes results in two types of noise contribution to the laser output field: spontaneous emission noise due to a fraction of spontaneously emitted photons ending up in the lasing mode, referred to as field noise, and carrier or inversion noise due to the discrete, random and instantaneous character of each recombination event. Henry showed [1] that the carrier noise has no influence on the static properties of a cw-emitting semiconductor laser and little influence on the dynamic properties. This has led to the general belief that carrier noise can be ignored in the analysis of semiconductor lasers. In this contribution we present a systematic study of the effect of an extra current noise source added to the low-noise current injection source of a thermally stabilized VCSEL. We have checked the laser features when varying the injected noise level and report changes on the shape and position of the relaxation oscillation peak in the relative intensity noise: the width Ωof the peak increases while the position Ω shifts to lower frequencies, the sum Ω2+ Ω2 remaining essentially constant (see figure). We have carried out an analytical study of a set of simple rate equations for a typical semiconductor laser. On that basis we conjecture that the carrier noise is responsible for a change in the nonlinear gain saturation due to spatial effects.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2005 European Quantum Electronics Conference, EQEC '05
Place of PublicationPiscataway
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Pages22
Number of pages1
ISBN (Print)0-7803-8973-5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2005
Event2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe and European Quantum Electronics Conference, CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2005 - Munich, Germany
Duration: 12 Jun 200517 Jun 2005

Conference

Conference2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe and European Quantum Electronics Conference, CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2005
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityMunich
Period12/06/0517/06/05

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