Dynamic linewidth measurement technique using digital intradyne coherent receivers

Abstract

The phase noise characteristics and laser stabilization time of a tunable laser under both static and fast switching operation is characterized using a dynamic linewidth measurement technique which employs a digital intradyne coherent receiver. The measurement technique utilizes a time domain frequency estimator to characterize the laser phase noise and also analyses the separate noise contributions to the overall laser linewidth. The performance of the measurement technique is validated using a phase noise emulator and a low linewidth (10 kHz) external cavity laser. The dynamic stabilization time, in terms of instantaneous frequency and linewidth, of a fast switching tunable DSDBR laser is subsequently investigated and we demonstrate that a minimum linewidth for a DSDBR laser can be realized within 50 ns of a wavelength switching event in a 5-channel 50 GHz spaced WDM system.