Experimental study of the delayed threshold phenomenon in a semiconductor laser

TL;DR

This paper experimentally investigates the delayed threshold phenomenon in a semiconductor laser, analyzing hysteresis behavior under pump modulation and validating a rate equation model that predicts frequency variations due to phase-amplitude coupling.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed experimental analysis of the delayed threshold in a Vertical Extended Cavity Semiconductor Laser and validates a theoretical model for this phenomenon.

Findings

Hysteresis width depends on modulation frequency and follows a predicted scaling law.

The rate equation model accurately describes the observed delayed threshold behavior.

Frequency variations induced by phase-amplitude coupling are predicted and estimated.

Abstract

An experimental study of the delayed threshold phenomenon in a Vertical Extended Cavity Semiconductor Emitting Laser is carried out. Under modulation of the pump power, the laser intensity exhibits a hysteresis behavior in the vicinity of the threshold. The temporal width of this hysteresis is measured as a function of the modulation frequency, and is proved to follow the predicted scaling law. A model based on the rate equations is derived and used to analyze the experimental observations. A frequency variation of the laser around the delayed threshold and induced by the phase-amplitude coupling is predicted and estimated.