Abstract

Self-pulsating (SP) semiconductor lasers are used in optical systems in which optical coherence is undesirable. In particular, their short coherence length (< 10 mm) minimizes their sensitivity to modal noise in a multimode fiber link. In comparison, conventional diode lasers with increasing optical feedback can fall into the coherence collapse regime, characterized by a wide emission spectrum and huge relative intensity noise (RIN) fluctuations.¹ In this work, it is shown that predictions of the RIN of SP ridge-waveguide double quntum well graded-index separate-confinement heterostructure (RW DQW-GRINSCH) lasers can be made based on a simple conjecture for a dynamically unstable system, and yield good agreement with experimental data.

© 1992 Optical Society of America