Two-Section Gain-Levered Tunable Distributed Feedback Laser with Active Tuning Section

Abstract

A composite cavity semiconductor laser structure that consists of two active (gain) sections is analyzed. One of the sections has a grating corrugation, while the other is flat. The operation of the device is enhanced by utilizing the gain-lever effect. A round-trip analysis is combined with the rate equations pertinent for this structure to study the characteristics of the device. The performance of the device is compared to that of a similar case without the gain lever. It is shown that, utilizing the gain-lever effect, improved operation in terms of tuning range, modulation efficiency, and output power control can be obtained. >