TY - GEN
T1 - External optical feedback engineered to reduce and stabilize the linewidth of diode lasers
AU - Far Brusatori, Mónica
AU - Volet, Nicolas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 SPIE.
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Narrow-linewidth lasers are building blocks of coherent communication systems, as lower linewidths enable higherorder modulation formats with lower bit-error rates. For this purpose, diode lasers are in high demand due to their low power consumption, compactness, and potential for mass production. In field-testing scenarios, their output is coupled to a fiber, making them susceptible to external optical feedback (EOF), which is notoriously detrimental to their stability. This challenge is traditionally combated by using, for example, angled output waveguides and optical isolators. The approach reported in this work makes use of EOF in a new way, to reduce and stabilize the laser linewidth. Whereas research in this field has focused on EOF applied to only one side of the laser cavity, this work gives a generalization to the case of feedback on both sides. It is implemented using photonic components available via generic foundry platforms, thus creating a path towards devices with high technology-readiness level. It is numerically observed that the double-feedback case can lead to improved performance with respect to the single-feedback case. In particular, by correctly tuning the phase of the feedback from both sides, a broad region of stability is discovered. This work paves the way towards low-cost, integrated and stable narrow-linewidth integrated lasers.
AB - Narrow-linewidth lasers are building blocks of coherent communication systems, as lower linewidths enable higherorder modulation formats with lower bit-error rates. For this purpose, diode lasers are in high demand due to their low power consumption, compactness, and potential for mass production. In field-testing scenarios, their output is coupled to a fiber, making them susceptible to external optical feedback (EOF), which is notoriously detrimental to their stability. This challenge is traditionally combated by using, for example, angled output waveguides and optical isolators. The approach reported in this work makes use of EOF in a new way, to reduce and stabilize the laser linewidth. Whereas research in this field has focused on EOF applied to only one side of the laser cavity, this work gives a generalization to the case of feedback on both sides. It is implemented using photonic components available via generic foundry platforms, thus creating a path towards devices with high technology-readiness level. It is numerically observed that the double-feedback case can lead to improved performance with respect to the single-feedback case. In particular, by correctly tuning the phase of the feedback from both sides, a broad region of stability is discovered. This work paves the way towards low-cost, integrated and stable narrow-linewidth integrated lasers.
KW - laser dynamics
KW - laser stability
KW - narrow-linewidth lasers
KW - optical feedback
KW - semiconductor lasers
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85131226841
U2 - 10.1117/12.2609616
DO - 10.1117/12.2609616
M3 - Article in proceedings
AN - SCOPUS:85131226841
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE
BT - Laser Resonators, Microresonators, and Beam Control XXIV
A2 - Ilchenko, Vladimir S.
A2 - Armani, Andrea M.
A2 - Sheldakova, Julia V.
PB - SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering
T2 - Laser Resonators, Microresonators, and Beam Control XXIV 2022
Y2 - 20 February 2022 through 24 February 2022
ER -