Syoichi Kakimoto

1.3- mu m distributed feedback laser diode with a grating accurately controlled by a new fabrication technique

The coupling constant that determines the characteristics of distributed feedback laser diodes (DFB LDs) is controlled by employing the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique and inserting a barrier layer between the active layer and the guiding layer. It is shown that the measured coupling constant is in good agreement with the designed coupling constant. Lasers with a small coupling constant have a large slope efficiency. Lasers with the above structure are expected to have a long life, comparable to that of conventional DFB LDs. >

Distributed feedback laser diode and module for CATV systems

Harmonic distortion of distributed feedback laser diodes (DFB-LDs) for analog transmission systems is investigated. It is shown that, under a modulation frequency of less than 1 GHz, the harmonic distortion depends on the nonlinearity of the light output power-current (P-I) curve under the continuous wave (CW) condition, which is determined by the coupling constant kappa L, and that the distortion can be minimized at kappa L approximately 1. A 1.3 mu m wavelength InGaAsP DFB-PPIBH (p-substrate partially inverted buried heterostructure) LD and its module, with low distortion by the control of a coupling constant, have been developed. >

1.3-/spl mu/m uncooled DFB lasers with low distortion for CATV application

Strained-layer multiquantum-well distributed-feedback (MQW-DFB) lasers at a wavelength of 1.3 /spl mu/m operating from -40/spl deg/C to 85/spl deg/C without any coolers are demonstrated. Extremely low threshold current of 17 mA at 85/spl deg/C and operation current of 37 mA at 5 mW and 85/spl deg/C are obtained. To the best of our knowledge, each of them is the lowest value so far reported in InGaAsP-InP based DFB lasers. The lasers also realize low distortion of less than -50 dBc at 65/spl deg/C in 78-channel composite second order distortion (CSO) measurements. An experimental estimation of the leakage current in buried heterostructure presents that the distortion at high temperatures is mostly dominated by the carrier overflow from an active layer, not by the leakage current flowing through current blocking layers. On the basis of the leakage current analysis, a laser structure including the active layer and the current blocking layer is chosen to achieve low distortion over a wide-temperature-range. The uncooled distributed-feedback (DFB) laser we have developed is very useful for several channel transmission in CATV systems.

Laser diodes in photon number squeezed state

A laser diode with an intrinsic layer as the space charge limited current region is expected to emit a low noise (less than the shot noise level) light. However, when one applies the intrinsic layer to the laser diode, severe difficulty is faced. Because the intrinsic layer has a very high resistivity, the applied voltage to operate the laser diode is too large and causes catastrophic damage to the laser diode. Here we propose novel laser diodes which emit a low noise light. The first is an AlGaAs laser diode having an undoped layer between the active layer and the cladding layer which acts as the space charge limited current region. Fano factor, F/sub m/, of this laser diode is 28% smaller than the shot noise level (standard quantum limit, F/sub m/=1) at 21 mA (output power, P/sub 0/=20 mW). The second one is an InGaAsP laser diode having two tunnel barrier layers whose bandgap energy is larger than that of the cladding layer. The region between the barriers acts as the space charge limited current region, Fano factor, F/sub m/ of this laser diode is 47% smaller than the shot noise level at 21 mA (P/sub 0/=10 mW). On the other hand, an AlGaAs laser diode with the two tunnel barrier layers has Fano factor, F/sub m/ which is 43% smaller than the shot noise level at 21 mA (P/sub 0/=20 mW). The calculated amplitude noise spectral densities of the latter two laser diodes are in good agreement with the calculated values from Langevin method. However, the calculated amplitude noise spectral density of the former laser diode does not agree with the calculated value from Langevin method. This disagreement is also discussed.