LASER-LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY

STIMULATED EMMISION OF
RADIATION
Semiconductor Lasers
• Laser diode is similar in principle to an LED.
• What added geometry does a Laser diode require?
An optical cavity that will facilitate feedback in order to generate stimulated
emission.
Fundamental Laser diode:
1. Edge emitting LED. Edge emission is suitable for adaptation to feedback
waveguide.
2. Polish the sides of the structure that is radiating.
3. Introduce a reflecting mechanism in order to return radiation to the
active region.
4.Drawback: low Q due to excessive absorption of radiation in p and n
layers of diode.
Remedy: Add confinement layers on both sides of active region with
different refractive indexes. Radiation will reflect back to active region.
5. Polishing of the emitting sides of the cavity. A considerable percentage of
the radiation is reflected back alone from the difference in reflective indexes
of the air-AlGaAs interface. Therefore mirror coating not necessary.
 Current

Cleaved surface mirror

L Electrode
p+ GaAs
L

n+ GaAs
Electrode

Active region
(stimulated emission region)

A schematic illustration of a GaAs homojunction laser

diode. The cleaved surfaces act as reflecting mirrors.
© 1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)
 For Successful Lasing Action:
1. Optical Gain (not absorb)
Achieved by population inversion
2. Optical Feedback
Achieved by device configuration
Needed to increase the total optical amplification by
making photons pass through the gain region multiple
times
Insert 2 mirrors at each end of laser
This is an oscillator cavity or Fabry Perot cavity
Mirrors are partly transmitted and party reflected
Reflection of Photons Back and Forth,
Higher Gain
Fabry-Perot Cavity

The photons vibrates

to and forth with
resonant wavelength
Laser

Gain + Feedback = laser

Laser Diode (optical cavity)

• In addition to population inversion laser oscillation must be

sustained.
• An optical cavity is implemented to elevate the intensity of
stimulated emission. (optical resonator).Provides an output
of continuous coherent radiation.
• The ends of the crystal are cleaved to a flatness and the ends
polished to provide reflection.
• Photons reflected from cleaved surface stimulate more
photons of the same frequency.
 Laser modes
• The λ of radiation that escalates in the cavity is dependent on the
length L of the cavity.(resonant length)
• Only multiples of λ/2 exist.
q is an integer (mode or resonant frequency)

q =L n is the refractive index of the semiconductor
2n
 is the free space wavelength

Frequency Spacing Wavelength Spacing

 
q =L
2n
• The longitudinal modes of a gallium arsenide injection laser emitting
at a wavelength of 0.87 μm are separated in frequency by 278 GHz.
Determine the length of the optical cavity and the number of
longitudinal modes emitted. The refractive index of gallium arsenide
is 3.6.
• ANS L=150 μm, q=1241
Fabry-Perot Laser (resonator)
cavity
Laser Diode Characteristics
• Nanosecond & even picosecond response time (GHz BW)
• Spectral width of the order of nm or less
• High output power (tens of mW)
• Narrow beam (good coupling to single mode fibers)
• Laser diodes have three distinct radiation modes namely, longitudinal,
lateral and transverse modes.
• In laser diodes, end mirrors provide strong optical feedback in
longitudinal direction, so by roughening the edges and cleaving the
facets, the radiation can be achieved in longitudinal direction rather
than lateral direction.