Harmonic fundamental self-pulsations from a laser diode using phase-conjugate optical feedback

Delphine Wolfersberger; A. Karsaklian dal Bosco; E. Mercier; M. Sciamanna

doi:10.1117/12.2052302

2 May 2014 Harmonic fundamental self-pulsations from a laser diode using phase-conjugate optical feedback

Delphine Wolfersberger, A. Karsaklian dal Bosco, E. Mercier, M. Sciamanna

Proceedings Volume 9134, Semiconductor Lasers and Laser Dynamics VI; 91340K (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2052302
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2014, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Thanks to the band-gap engineering of quantum confined semiconductor materials and the development of semiconductor-based saturable absorber mirrors, recent years have seen the development of compact and low-cost external-cavity laser diodes generating pulses at several tens of GHz. The physics of the bifurcation leading to selfpulsation leads however to an intrinsic limitation: the fundamental repetition rate is fixed to and limited by the externalcavity round-trip time. By contrast, we demonstrate here that an external-cavity diode laser may generate fundamental self-pulsating dynamics at harmonics of the external-cavity frequency, when a phase conjugate mirror replaces the conventional mirror. As is known from theory, a laser diode with phase conjugate external feedback supports a single stationary solution that bifurcates to self-pulsating dynamics of increasing frequency when increasing the amount of light reflected back to the laser diode. The self-pulsation frequency then increases in step of the external-cavity frequency as one increases the feedback strength. We provide here the first experimental evidence of such harmonic external-cavity fundamental self-pulsation. As a proof-of-concept, we generate experimentally a self-pulsating dynamics at twice and three times the fundamental external-cavity frequency using an edge-emitting laser with a self-pumped ring-cavity photorefractive phase conjugator. Numerical simulations also predict stable higher harmonics.

Citation Download Citation

Delphine Wolfersberger, A. Karsaklian dal Bosco, E. Mercier, and M. Sciamanna "Harmonic fundamental self-pulsations from a laser diode using phase-conjugate optical feedback", Proc. SPIE 9134, Semiconductor Lasers and Laser Dynamics VI, 91340K (2 May 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2052302

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available