Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Masters of Science (Research)

Department

Physical Sciences

First Advisor

Dr Guillame Guyet

Abstract

In the following work we examine the dynamics of semiconductor lasers under different types of coupled oscillator configurations, namely optical injection and mutual coupling. We examine both discrete-mode quantum well lasers and distribute feedback quantum dot lasers. First we describe optical injection experiments carried out on single mode semiconductor lasers. Conventional diagnostic tools such as optical spectra, RF spectra and intensity time series are used to describe the dynamics. We also describe a novel interferometric technique used to experimentally resolve the phase of the slave laser. This new technique has proved successful, revealing some heretofore hidden dynamical features and showing excellent agreement with numerical simulations. We next adapt the traditional optical injection setup to allow the phase-locking of frequency distinct lasers. This is achieved by applying an amplitude modulation to the master laser, generating two sidebands on its spectrum. The sidebands are coherent with the carrier signal and we show that they may be used to phase lock the slave laser. Finally we extend this to a mutual-coupling configuration where both lasers are amplitude modulated and show that stable phase-locking of quantum dot lasers in this configuration is possible.

Comments

This thesis was prepared in association with Tyndall National Institute - Photonic Device Dynamics Group.

Access Level

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Download

Included in

Physics Commons

Share

COinS