Optical properties and modulation characteristics of ultra-strong injection-locked distributed feedback lasers

Abstract

The optical properties and the frequency responses of ultrastrong (injection ratio > 10 dB) injection-locked distributed feedback lasers are investigated experimentally and theoretically. We have observed three distinctive modulation regimes under different frequency detuning between the master and the slave lasers. At large negative frequency detuning, the laser exhibits enhanced modulation efficiency at low frequencies. At intermediate frequency detuning, a flat frequency response with large 3 dB bandwidth is observed. At large positive frequency detuning, the modulation response shows a pronounced resonance peak at high frequencies. These phenomena can be explained by the resonance enhancement of the slave laser cavity mode, with the resonance frequency equal to the difference between the injection-locked frequency and the cavity mode. The experimental results agree well with theoretical calculations based on three coupled rate equations. Depending on the applications, the injection locking conditions can be optimized to achieve high RF link gain, broadband, or high resonance frequency operations.