Traveling Wave Model for Frequency Comb Generation in Single Section Quantum Well Diode Lasers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a traveling wave model for quantum well diode lasers that accurately predicts frequency comb generation, capturing complex physical effects with minimal phenomenological parameters, and demonstrates potential for compact chip-scale comb sources.

Contribution

A novel traveling wave model derived from first principles for quantum well diode lasers, effectively capturing spectral effects with minimal phenomenological constants.

Findings

Successfully reproduces experimental results

Predicts frequency comb generation in single-section lasers

Shows potential for compact, chip-scale frequency comb sources

Abstract

We present a traveling wave model for a semiconductor diode laser based on quantum wells. The gain model is carefully derived from first principles and implemented with as few phenomeno- logical constants as possible. The transverse energies of the quantum well confined electrons are discretized to automatically capture the effects of spectral and spatial hole burning, gain asym- metry, and the linewidth enhancement factor. We apply this model to semiconductor optical amplifiers and single-section phase-locked lasers. We are able to reproduce the experimental re- sults. The calculated frequency modulated comb shows potential to be a compact, chip-scale comb source without additional external components.