8.

Optical Modulation
Modulation Techniques
Direct modulation of laser diode
Vary the current supply to the laser diode
Directly modulates the output power of the laser
External modulation
Change the transmission characteristics
Change the power of a continuous wave laser
Rate Equations of Laser Diodes
The semiconductor laser is essentially a two-level laser
Light emission based on two coupled rate equations
The carrier density of excited electrons (N)
The photon density (N
ph
)


Carrier Density Rate Equation
v
g
: group velocity L: confinement factor
a: gain constant q
g
: gain suppression coef.

( )

( )

emission
stimulated
emission
s spontaneou
2
ion recombinat
ve nonradiati
inj ection
current
rate
carrier
ph g
nr
N N g v N B
N
d q
t J
dt
dN
I =
t
( ) ( )
o
N N a N g =
ph g
o
N
a
a
q +
=
1
Photon Density Rate Equation
|
sp
: percentage of spontaneous emission coherent and in phase with
stimulated emission (~10E-5)

t
sp
: photon decay constant


o
tot
: total cavity loss

( )


emission stimulated
emission
s spontaneou
2
photons
of loss
rate Photon
ph g sp
ph
ph ph
N N g v N B
N
dt
dN
I = |
t
tot g sp
v o t = 1
Steady State Solution
Steady state requires the carrier density and the photon density to b
constant


The photon density rate equation yields



N
ph
must be positive which requires


0 = =
dt
dN
dt
dN
ph
( ) N g v
N B
N
g ph
sp
ph
I
=
t
|
1
2
( )
ph g
N g v t 1 < I
Threshold Condition
The carrier threshold condition is where




Since the gain is also given by


Resulting in a threshold carrier density of


The photon density then becomes



( )
ph th g
N g v t 1 = I
a
N N
tot
o th
I
+ =
o
( ) ( )
o th th
N N a N g =
( )
g ph
th
v
N g
I
=
t
1
( ) N N a v
N B
N
th g
sp
ph
I
=
2
|
Steady State
This means that in steady state N
th
>N
High photon flux occurs when N~N
th

With N~N
th




Resulting in



The total power is
(
(

+ + =
ph
ph
th
nr
th
N
N B
N
qd J
t t
2
( )
th
ph
ph
J J
d q
N =
t
( )
th nr th th
N B N d q J + = t 1
| |
( )( )
th
tot
I I R
m L
P
|
|
.
|

\
| I
= 1
24 . 1
2 o
DC Laser Diode Response
Initial Photon Density
Rate of increase of photon density (dN
ph
/dt) is essentially zero when
N
ph
is small


It will not become significant until the net gain is positive


This is equivalent to

When the laser diode is initially turned on the photon density stays
essentially zero until N reached N
th

( )
I
>
o
N g
th
N N >
( )
ph g sp
ph
ph ph
N N g v N B
N
dt
dN
I =
2
|
t
Initial Carrier Density
Rate of increase of N (dN/dt) is positive when N
ph
is small


Causing an increase in the carrier density



2
BN
N
d q
J
dt
dN
nr
~
t
Exceeding Threshold
When N>N
th

Optical gain becomes positive
Photon density increases rapidly
Exceeds the steady state value
The increase in N
ph
causes
decrease in the dN/dt because of
the stimulated emission term is
negative

When N
ph
reaches a certain value
dN/dt becomes negative
N starts to decrease
( )
ph g
N N g v I
Relaxation Oscillations
When N drops below N
th
N starts increasing again
The process repeats itself as a damped oscillation
N stays very close to N
th


Final Pulse Response
When the laser turns off
N decreases
When N<N
th
the photon density drops to essentially zero