A Michelson interferometer with balanced detection for the characterization of modulation and noise properties of semiconductor lasers

A Michelson interferometer with balanced detection, built to study semiconductor lasers, is analyzed. The quantum noise due to vacuum fluctuations, coupling losses, detector quantum efficiency, and spatial mode mismatches are included in the analysis. The limits for frequency noise detection and the sensitivity of the interferometer are examined. It is observed that under ordinary measurement conditions the frequency noise can only be measured up to slightly above the cavity bandwidth of the laser. Comprehensive measurement procedures are proposed, and experimental results showing the frequency modulation response, measured from 10 kHz to 8 GHz, of a three-section distributed feedback (DFB) laser and the frequency noise spectra, measured from 30 MHz to 8 GHz, of a two-section distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser are presented. These results reveal new cavity detuning effects in the noise characteristics of tunable DBR lasers.<
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