Reflection sensitivity of dual-state quantum dot lasers

This work experimentally and theoretically demonstrates the effect of excited state lasing on the reflection sensitivity of dual-state quantum dot lasers,showing that the laser exhibits higher sensitivity to external optical feedback when reaching the excited state lasing threshold.This sensitivity can be degraded by increasing the excited-to-ground-state energy separation,which results in a high excited-to-ground-state threshold ratio.In addition,the occurrence of excited state lasing decreases the damping factor and increases the linewidth enhancement factor,which leads to a low critical feedback level.These findings illuminate a path to fabricate reflectioninsensitive quantum dot lasers for isolator-free photonic integrated circuits.

Dynamic and nonlinear properties of epitaxial quantum dot lasers on silicon for isolator-free integration

This work investigates the dynamic and nonlinear properties of quantum dot(QD) lasers directly grown on silicon with a view to isolator-free applications. Among them, the chirp parameter, also named the αHfactor,is featured through a thermally insensitive method analyzing the residual side-mode dynamics under optical injection locking. The αHat threshold is found as low as 0.32. Then, the nonlinear gain is investigated from the gain compression factor viewpoint. The latter is found higher for epitaxial QD lasers on silicon than that in heterogeneously integrated quantum well(QW) devices on silicon. Despite that, the power dependence of the αHdoes not lead to a large increase of the chirp coefficient above the laser’s threshold at higher bias. This effect is confirmed from an analytical model and attributed to the strong lasing emission of the ground-state transition, which transforms into a critical feedback level as high as-6.5 d B, which is ~19 d B higher than a comparable QW laser.Finally, the intensity noise analysis confirms that QD lasers are overdamped oscillators with damping frequencies as large as 33 GHz. Altogether, these features contribute to fundamentally enhancing the reflection insensitivity of the epitaxial QD lasers. This last feature is unveiled by the 10 Gbit/s error-free high-speed transmission experiments. Overall, we believe that this work is of paramount importance for future isolator-free photonics technologies and cost-efficient high-speed transmission systems.

Uncovering recent progress in nanostructured light-emitters for information and communication technologies

Semiconductor nanostructures with low dimensionality like quantum dots and quantum dashes are one of the best attractive and heuristic solutions for achieving high performance photonic devices.When one or more spatial dimensions of the nanocrystal approach the de Broglie wavelength,nanoscale size effects create a spatial quantization of carriers leading to a complete discretization of energy levels along with additional quantum phenomena like entangled-photon generation or squeezed states of light among others.This article reviews our recent findings and prospects on nanostructure based light emitters where active region is made with quantum-dot and quantum-dash nanostructures.Many applications ranging from silicon-based integrated technologies to quantum information systems rely on the utilization of such laser sources.Here,we link the material and fundamental properties with the device physics.For this purpose,spectral linewidth,polarization anisotropy,optical nonlinearities as well as microwave,dynamic and nonlinear properties are closely examined.The paper focuses on photonic devices grown on native substrates(InP and GaAs)as well as those heterogeneously and epitaxially grown on silicon substrate.This research pipelines the most exciting recent innovation developed around light emitters using nanostructures as gain media and highlights the importance of nanotechnologies on industry and society especially for shaping the future information and communication society.

Dynamic performance and reflection sensitivity of quantum dot distributed feedback lasers with large optical mismatch

This work reports on a high-efficiency In As/Ga As distributed feedback quantum dot laser.The large optical wavelength detuning at room temperature between the lasing peak and the gain peak causes the static,dynamic,and nonlinear intrinsic properties to all improve with temperature,including the lasing efficiency,the modulation dynamics,the linewidth enhancement factor,and consequently the reflection insensitivity.Results reported show an optimum operating temperature at 75°C,highlighting the potential of the large optical mismatch assisted single-frequency laser for the development of uncooled and isolator-free high-speed photonic integrated circuits.

Four-wave mixing in 1.3 μm epitaxial quantum dot lasers directly grown on silicon

This work compares the four-wave mixing(FWM)effect in epitaxial quantum dot(QD)lasers grown on silicon with quantum well(QW)lasers.A comparison of theory and experiment results shows that the measured FWM coefficient is in good agreement with theoretical predictions.The gain in signal power is higher for p-doped QD lasers than for undoped lasers,despite the same FWM coefficient.Owing to the near-zero linewidth enhancement factor,QD lasers exhibit FWM coefficients and conversion efficiency that are more than one order of magnitude higher than those of QW lasers.Thus,this leads to self-mode locking in QD lasers.These findings are useful for developing on-chip sources for photonic integrated circuits on silicon.