Novel modulated-master injection-locked 1.55-microm VCSELs.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Semiconductor Lasers
• Radio Frequency (RF) Photonics

Background:

• Optical injection-locking is crucial for controlling laser dynamics.
• Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) are widely used in optical communication systems.
• Modulation response of VCSELs is key for high-speed data transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel optical injection-locking configuration using a directly-modulated master VCSEL.
• To investigate the RF modulation response of the injection-locked slave VCSEL.
• To analyze the achieved RF gain and phase shift characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a directly-modulated master VCSEL to injection-lock a slave VCSEL.
• Experimental measurement of the RF modulation response, gain, and phase shift.
• Incorporating an amplifier model for theoretical explanation.

Main Results:

• Achieved an RF gain up to 30 dB for frequencies above a critical frequency (approximately 10 GHz).
• Demonstrated a 2π RF phase change above the critical frequency by adjusting wavelength detuning.
• Observed that the critical frequency increases with injection power.
• Simulations showed good qualitative agreement with experimental findings.

Conclusions:

• The novel modulated-master injection-locking configuration offers significant RF gain and phase control.
• This technique enables the attainment of equivalent slow or fast light phenomena in the slave VCSEL.
• The findings provide a new avenue for enhancing the performance of VCSEL-based optical systems.