Wavelength Jumps and Multimode Instabilities in Integrated Master Oscillator Power Amplifiers at 1.5 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m: Experiments and Theory

Abstract

We analyze the large ( $>$ 10 nm) and abrupt jumps in emission wavelength, together with the multimode instabilities associated with them, which are observed in monolithically integrated master oscillator power amplifiers emitting at 1.5 $\mu$ m. The physical origin of such phenomena is investigated in the framework of a travelling-wave model which phenomenologically incorporates thermal effects via self and cross-heating of the different sections of the device. The occurrence of the wavelength jumps and the instabilities as a function of the injected currents in the two sections is interpreted in terms of a thermally tuned competition between the modes of the master oscillator and the compound cavity modes.