Effects of TE-TM mode kinks on the performance of semiconductor lasers in lightwave communication systems

Effects of kinks in 1.3-μm InGaAsP etch-mesa-buried-heterostructure lasers on their performance in lightwave communications systems are studied through bit-error rate measurements. These kinks are due to the onset of TM modes in the light emission. Noise associated with kinks is observed when the lasers are operated above the kink region. This noise associated with kinks leads to a noise floor in the bit-error rate curves. The magnitude of the noise associated with these kinks is deduced by fitting the experimental bit-error-rate curves using computer simulations.