Distributed Feedback Lasers

By ensuring feedback, an oscillatory function is realized in the previously discussed

laser.

Feedback is realized by placing the p-n junction in a cavity that has fully reflecting
walls on all but one side and a partial reflector on the remaining side. By inserting a
grating (corrugated surface) within the cavity, as shown in Figure 2-3, optical
feedback is achieved. This optical feedback is called distributed feedback (DFB) due
to its diverse occurrence in the cavity. (The feedback is throughout the length of the
cavity.) The feedback is essential for maintaining the lasing threshold, and it is due
to Bragg diffraction, which is explained in the section on FBG. Basically, when
clusters of wavelengths hit a grating, only wavelengths that correspond to Bragg's
condition are reflected back.3 Bragg's condition is shown in Equation 2-1.

Sự phản hổi được thực hiện bằng cách

In the Equation 2-1, n equals the refractive index, gT equals the period of grating, a
equals the order of Bragg diffraction, and lB equals the Bragg's wavelength of our
interest. These kinds of lasers are called DFB lasers (see Figure 2-3) and are of
commercial interest in DWDM networks.

The feedback wave adds in phase to the emitted radiation, which is due to the
electrons dropping from the excited state to the ground state. The grating is formed
by methods of holography. The grating gives best performance for the Bragg's
wavelength. The grating can be so formed so that the periodic perturbations can be
varied, giving optimum performance for a number of different wavelengths and
finding solid application in WDM networks.

Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) Lasers

Distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers are a conceptual extension of DFB lasers.
The principle is much the same; however, the feedback that is associated through
the grating is now extended through the entire region of the cavity (refer to Figure
2-4).

The corrugation or grating now extends to the mirrored walls, thus enhancing
tunability. You can achieve wavelength tunability by varying the grating periods
outside the gain medium (p-n junction). For a DBR laser, Bragg's condition given by
Equation 2-2 needs to be satisfied.

DBR lasers are good candidates for tunable optical sources. DBR as well as DFB
lasers are temperature dependent; as a result, they need temperature-controlling
elements for stable uniform operations. The temperature-controlling elements add a
significant cost to the laser; therefore, thin line-width DBR lasers for C-band
applications are quite expensive.
Tunable Lasers

For efficient nonblocking networks, you will probably want a particular optical
source to be able to tune to different wavelengths with minimal tuning time.
Sectional DBR lasers are one possible candidate for tunable optical sources. The
feedback cavity is spread such that different sections have different currents that
are needed to create lasing effects.

Lasing effect can be defined as the condition in a cavity or p-n junction when
population inversion has been achieved and the junction/cavity can emit a streak of
light at the desired wavelength.

The change of current over the grating also changes the Bragg's wavelength and
the associated feedback. In this way, a DBR laser can be tuned across several
nanometers relatively quickly. Mechanically tunable lasers that have a wider tuning
range but slower tuning times have also been demonstrated. One such example is a
Fabry Perot (FP) cavity laser (explained later in the section on cavities and filters),
whereby the emitted wavelength is a function of the cavity length (FP cavity).
Changing the length between the walls of the cavity can change the resonant
frequency; this can be brought about mechanically (hence the term mechanically
tuned laser). Recently, a tunable laser that could tune over the entire C band
(approximately 35.2 nm) was demonstrated4. Refer to Figure 2-5 for generic
diagram mechanically tunable laser.

Laser Sources

There are many laser sources that can be used in optical transmitters such as
distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, Fabry-Perot (FP) lasers and so on. The OC2004
software package aims to simulate a high speed optical communications system.
DFB lasers are selected due to its single-frequency generation. They are uniquely
suitable for high speed transmission with a narrow single longitudinal mode
linewidth emission. These lasers are ideal for multiplexing higher number of
channels closer together. This is commonly known as Dense Wavelength Division
Multiplexing (DWDM) optical communications systems. Furthermore, the laser is
tunable, which allows users selection of the lasing mode at the carrier wavelength
[1]. These characteristics make the DFB laser a much better choice compared to the
Fabry-Perot laser which is more suitable to “coarse” wavelength division
multiplexing and system speeds which are limited to several hundred Gb/s[8].
Bragg diffraction allows coupling of waves backwards and forwards in the DFB laser
optical cavity. This phenomenon occurs for only wavelengths closest to the Bragg
wavelength, λB. For tunable DFB lasers, wavelength selectivity depends on both
grating period and the refractive index of the laser’s semiconductor material.
Hence, some methods of tuning lasers may include changing the temperature or
passing a current through the material. However, these methods make only small
changes and limit the tunable range to several nanometers only [8]. Other methods
of operating a truly tunable laser over a wider range of wavelengths include dividing
the active medium of the semiconductor material into two sections and injecting
varying amounts of bias current or biasing three independent sections of the DFB
namely the active, phase-control and Bragg grating sections as mentioned in [9].