Optical feedback effects on the spectral linewidth of semiconductor laser sensors using self-mixing interference

The spectral characteristics of a semiconductor laser are significantly affected by optical feedback in the active cavity of the diode. In this paper, the influence of weak optical feedback on the linewidth is examined and a new relationship proposed. Feedback-induced changes in the power spectral density are also determined by a theoretical analytical model, in good agreements with experiments. These results are then discussed for sensing applications using self-mixing interference, as the maximum range of distance and displacement sensors can be limited by half the coherence length of the laser diode modified by the optical feedback.