The modulation response of a semiconductor laser amplifier

Abstract

We present a theoretical analysis of the modulation response of a semiconductor laser amplifier. We find a resonance behavior similar to the well-known relaxation oscillation resonance found in semiconductor lasers, but of a different physical origin. The role of the waveguide (scattering) loss is investigated in detail and is shown to influence the qualitative behavior of the response. In particular, it is found that a certain amount of waveguide loss may be beneficial in some cases. Finally, the role of the microwave propagation of the modulation signals is investigated and different feeding schemes are analyzed. The nonlinear transparent waveguide, i.e., an amplifier saturated to the point where the stimulated emission balances the internal losses, is shown to be analytically solvable and is a convenient vehicle for gaining qualitative understanding of the dynamics of modulated semiconductor optical amplifiers.