Abstract

A simple method for measuring the linewidth enhancement factor (LEF) of semiconductor lasers (SLs) is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. This method is based on the self-mixing effect when a small portion of optical signal intensity emitted by the SL reflected by the moving target re-enters the SL cavity, leading to a modulation in the SL’s output power intensity, in which the modulated envelope shape depends on the optical feedback strength as well as the LEF. By investigating the relationship between the light phase and power from the well-known Lang and Kobayashi equations, it was found that the LEF can be simply measured from the power value overlapped by two SLs’ output power under two different optical feedback strengths. Our proposed method is verified by both simulations and experiments.

© 2015 Optical Society of America

Simple method for measuring the linewidth enhancement factor of semiconductor lasers by optical injection locking

Koichi Iiyama, Ken-ichi Hayashi, and Yoshio Ida
Opt. Lett. 17(16) 1128-1130 (1992)

Influence of feedback optical phase on the relaxation oscillation frequency of a semiconductor laser and its application

Bin Liu, Yuxi Ruan, Yanguang Yu, Bo Wang, and Lei An
Opt. Express 29(3) 3163-3172 (2021)

Self-validating technique for the measurement of the linewidth enhancement factor in semiconductor lasers

Antonio Consoli, Borja Bonilla, Jose Manuel G. Tijero, and Ignacio Esquivias
Opt. Express 20(5) 4979-4987 (2012)

Evaluation method for the optical feedback factor and linewidth enhancement factor using phase discontinuities in self-mixing interferometry signals

Chol-Yong Ri, Chol-Su Kim, Guk-Chol Ri, Jong-Chol Kang, Chol-Min Pak, and Jin-Myong O
Appl. Opt. 59(3) 687-693 (2020)

Measurement of the linewidth enhancement factor based on nonlinear polarization rotation of semiconductor optical amplifier

Guodong Liu, Chongqing Wu, Fu Wang, Tianyong Zhang, Chao Shang, and Kaiqiang Gao
Appl. Opt. 54(16) 5162-5166 (2015)