Effect of nonlinear gain reduction on semiconductor laser wavelength chirping.
01 January 1986
A simple wavelength chirping formula is presented which includes small nonlinearities in the net gain such as spectral hole- burning (SHB). The two dominant terms are a laser-structure- independent derivative or "transient" chirp and a structure- dependent "adiabatic" chirp, each with distinctly different lightwave system consequences. The two chirp contributions are indirectly related through their mutual association with relaxation oscillations. Time resolved spectral measurements on a number of different laser structures support the results.