α-Parameter Dependence of Chirped Pulse from Injection-Modulated Semiconductor Lasers

Abstract

It is found from a series of numerical simulations that a simple relation, ΔtΔf_c=0.4α, holds between an amount of down-chirp (Δf_c) and a pulsewidth (Δt) for pulses from an injection-modulated semiconductor laser having a known α-parameter value. This relation is useful for estimating the amount of chirp existing in pulses. The validity of the relation is examined by a direct observation of chirped pulses using a combination of a streak camera and a spectrometer.