Design, Fabrication and Analysis of Broadly Tunable Asymmetric Multiple Quantum Well Coupled Cavity Diode Lasers

Abstract

<p>A detailed analysis of coupled cavity semiconductor lasers with asymmetric multiple quantum well (AMQW) active regions is presented in this thesis. The analysis involved design, fabrication, characterization, and simulation of these devices. Although the coupled cavity devices can be multi sectioned, the devices discussed in this thesis are two sectioned.</p><p> A below threshold model for an AMQW coupled cavity device is developed. Non-linear fits of the below threshold spectral data to that obtained from the model were used to extract optimized device parameters. These fits helped to create an understanding of the operation of the devices and paved the way for improved device performance. Optimized device parameters obtained from the below threshold model were later used as input parameters in the development of an above threshold model. This model verified the wavelength selection mechanism employed by coupled cavity diode lasers and predicted the longitudinal modes for sets of injection currents.</p><p> Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an application where much interest has recently been drawn. The coupled cavity devices fabricated in this work applied with proper modulation of the injection currents and followed by subsequent time averaging have demonstrated short coherence length (-15 μm) and can be an excellent source for synthesized OCT. Rapid wavelength switching (-70 ns, the measurement was limited by detector response time) over the whole range has also been experimentally shown. Because of the high speed (relative to mechanical) wavelength switching ability, AMQW coupled cavity devices have the potential for applications requiring real time measurements including real time synthesized OCT.</p>