4 Distributed Feedback

(DFB) Lasers
Active Region Light Output
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grating
end mirrors (optional)

Figure 77. DFB Laser Schematic

When we want to use lasers for long distance communication we find that standard
FP lasers have
significant problems
1 As seen
Falpy poro
abov FP lasers produce many wavelengths over a spectrai width of
between 5 and 8 nm Even if we are using the 1310 "zero
dispersion" band or
"dispersion shifted" fibre in the 1550 nm band there will still be some chromatic
dispersion of the signai caused by dispersion being sighily aiieent at the
different wavelengths
2(The "mode hopping behavior of FP lasers gives rise to "Mode Partition Noise
asdescHIDee n 24.3, "Mode Partition Noise" on page 57

3In Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM)Sysiems e want io carry many

multipiexed optical signals on the Same tibre. to do this it is importantfor each
Signal to have as narroWa speclai width as possible and tobe as stable as
possible Regular FP lasers have too great a spectral width for use in this
application
Distributed FeedBack (DFB) lasers are one answer to this problem. The idea is
thatyou pui a Bragg grating into the laser cavity of an inder-guided FP aser This

Chapter 3 Optical Sources 113

 2 The
along its length
the gain region
v a l i a t i o n in
the RI of o c C u r at
each RI change
r e f l e c t i o n s to
periodic of the wavelength
1s just a causes
small
a mulipie
Thy presence
of the grating of the
corrugations
is
When the period i n t e r f e r e n c e b e t w e e n
reflections
occurs anda

(corrugation) interfere and

constructive destructively
light, Other wavelengths
of the incident refleted.
when, the period
of the Braggg
proportion of
the light is
effect is strongest However, the
be reflected. Ihe order grating).
therefore cannot of light used (first
to the wavelength multiple of the
grating is equal is any (small) integer
the grating period
conforms to the
wavelength of the
device will work when one mode (the one that
wavelength. Thus
only
grating) can lase.)
and were
within the active region
using this principle had the grating was moved
to a
(Early devices much attenuation. As a result the grating c e n t field
too e v e r n e s
found to have adjacent to (below) the cavity.
The
waveguide layer immediately extends into the adjacent
layer and
the light wave in the cavity
accompanying desired effect
the grating to produce the
interacts with
grating can be made strong
doesn't need end mirrors. The
inprinciple a DFB laser
sufficient feedback (reflection) for lasing
to take piace
enough lo produce (one at each
there are actualily two lines produced
Howeverin a perfect DFB laser of achieving this
We oniy want one line. A way
SIdeof the Bragg wavelength). reflectance end mirror
the device is to place a high
and imprOving the efficiency of cleaved facet at the
either an AR coating or justa
at one end of the cavity and doesn't need to be very strong just
Sufficient
output end. in this case the grating the end
dominates. The added reflections (from
to ensure that a single mode one of the two spectral
mirrors) act to make the device asymmetric and suppress
lines. Unfortunately they aiso act to increase the linewidth.

113. OFB lasers

A schematic view of a DFB laser is shown in Figure 77 on page
are very effective and widely used but they have a problem with chirp There are
two main sources of chirp
1.When the current is switched on the charge carrier (electron and hole) fiux in
the cavity changes very rapidly. This causes a change in the refractive index
A change in refractive index (of course) changes the resonant wavelength of
the grating and the wavelength of the laser output changes (typically the
wavelength gets longer) in well iess than a single bit üme
2. During lasing the cavity heats up. This also happens very quickly (in a lot less
than a bit time). This heatirio
has two principal effects
a. t ceuses the RI of
thecavity to change.
b. It changes the electron energy gap in the material
Inan FP laser (as distinct
from a DBR or DFB
laser) ihis change in the energy
gap dommates ofher efiecis and is the
laser the energy gap change ie predominant cause of clurp. n tie DFB
irretevant. niS Is because tpe energy
covers a range of energies and the DFB gap
the grating spacing and the cavity Ri. S0resonant vwavelength is determined by
gap extends to cover the resonant long ad the range of energies in
wavelength then the
the device will tase.

are described in 5./, "Diffraction Gratings" on page 206.

ding Oplical Communications

 or Signiicant advantages over FP types
(DFB iasers have a number
newidhs (of the order of 50 kHz)
Theycan exhibit very narrow

2 Tiey quite low chirp as discussed above

have
Noise (RIN)
3 They typically have a very low RelativeIntensity
Without problems
Nothing however is 'completely
sensitIVe to reflections
B R lasers are extremely
Will distuib the laser's stable resonence This
Anv1eflection entering the cavity 0tne extent that reilections ieluming ftom
ceuses a widening of the iiewion
and Return Loss Mariation" on
theoutside vary (see 2.4.4, Reflections
a significant source of noise. To minimise the
page 67) this can also be
are ofen packaged with an isolator
effects of this problem DFB lasers
within the assembly However,
these don't always suppress all
integrated

Chapter 3. Optical Sources 115

 to minin
to
taken in system
n
design
minirnise the
be
additional steps must
reflections
and
variations
in two ways
problem.
to
temperature
has a very strong infue
strong influe
device
seconds or
sensitive
are of the
Ahey temperature of many
(average) on a scale lono
stable variation channel
a.Thewavelength. Wavelength a singie
effect on systen
detrimental
issue in WDM system
on have much a
critical
but it is
longerdoesn't system operation. This is
This
communication stable
distance for
temperature
control
cooler in the laser packar
the laser package
requires Effect"
Thedevice
"Peltier
including a
by neats up. If a lona
usually provided one bit time)
the cavity
wavelenat
transmission (ineven this can
cause a significant
b.During transmitted by.tne Peftiercooler
series of "1"
bits are compensated
"balanca
short to be protocols be nced
scaie too link
shift on a time requirement that higher layer state a s in the "1 stale
Thisintroduces a average)as
much time
in the "0"
and spend (on in laser output power.)This
fluctuations

produce significant
this a PiN
often includer
PIN diode is often
3. Varying conditions To counter

is undesirable
for many
reasons.

facet". This
picks up a small
diode pIcks
of tihe back facet and
n e a r the
"back
inthe laser package light from the t r a n s m i t t a n c e
proportion of generated laser drive current
for control of
loop
a feedback
providesinput to stableoperation you
above, to get
high cost. )As seen and optical isolation
4hey have a relativeiy
temperature control, power control
almost always need
cost.
All this adds to the

tegrated Absorption iioduiators