Wavelength tuning characteristics of a fabry-perot semiconductor laser with an external short cavity

Wavelength tuning characteristics of a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser with an external short cavity are analyzed, in which the oscillation wavelength can be changed by slightly altering the external cavity length. Analysis is based on rate equations for an optical power and carrier density. It is shown that the wavelength tuning range is dominated by a change of carrier density through the effect of carrier-induced refractive index change in the active layer of a laser diode. This depends on effective coupling coefficients of the optical field iteratively reflected back to the laser diode by the external mirror, and on reflection coefficients of an anti-reflection coated laser facet and the external mirror which compose the external cavity. The effective coupling coefficient is also derived using the waveguide theory and Kirchhoff ’s theory. Finally, an unstable condition which may limit a stable wavelength tuning range is shown by results of a linear stability analysis of rate equations.