Modulation characteristics of p-doped quantum dot lasers

Quantum dot (QD) lasers are advancing and can potentially be important for fiber optic communications because of their novel modulation characteristics. Although the modulation speeds of the QD lasers have been measured to be low at 1.3 and 1.55 /spl mu/m, their unique density of electronic levels suggest that their chirp characteristics may be desirable for directly modulated sources. Calculations of the alpha factor in QD laser suggest their alpha factor can be positive, zero, or negative, depending on the spectral tuning between the lasing mode and gain peak. In this talk we will review several aspects of QD lasers, including their temperature characteristics, carrier dynamics, and modulation characteristics.