AM and RIN of a tunable optically pumped 1.6-μm VCSEL

This letter presents for the first time the dynamic characteristics of a tunable optically pumped 1.6-μm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) based on micromechanic wavelength tuning. The study includes analysis of the small-signal amplitude modulation response, the relative intensity noise, and the influence of different pump lasers on the VCSEL noise. From the measurements, characteristic semiconductor parameters have been derived and are presented.