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Title: Numerical investigation into the injection-locking phenomena of gain switched lasers for optical frequency comb generation

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4921852· OSTI ID:22402486
; ;  [1]
  1. The RINCE Institute, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland)

We present detailed numerical simulations of the laser dynamics that describe optical frequency comb formation by injection-locking a gain-switched laser. The typical rate equations for semiconductor lasers including stochastic carrier recombination and spontaneous emission suffice to show the injection-locking behavior of gain switched lasers, and we show how the optical frequency comb evolves starting from the free-running state, right through the final injection-locked state. Unlike the locking of continuous wave lasers, we show that the locking range for gain switched lasers is considerably greater because injection locking can be achieved by injecting at frequencies close to one of the comb lines. The quality of the comb lines is formally assessed by calculating the frequency modulation (FM)-noise spectral density and we show that under injection-locking conditions the FM-noise spectral density of the comb lines tend to that of the maser laser.

OSTI ID:
22402486
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 21; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English