Low-frequency fluctuations in semiconductor lasers with delayed optical feedback

Abstract

Low-frequency fluctuations in a semiconductor laser with optical feedback system are analyzed with a traveling wave model, and the concepts of instantaneous and compound cavity modes. Compound-cavity mode curves, including their height and width characteristics in the frequency/carrier-density-offset plane, provide good estimates of parameter ranges where low- frequency fluctuations occur. These ranges cover a larger part of the parameter space than is commonly realized.