Spectral linewidth of DFB lasers including the effects of spatial holeburning and nonuniform current injection

An analytic expression for the linewidth of distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers is derived. Local fluctuations in carrier density are shown to provide a significant contribution to laser linewidth in the presence of spatial holeburning. In a single-electrode DFB laser the effect can be avoided by careful optimization of the kl-product, but for a multielectrode DFB laser the linewidth can also be reduced by adjusting the injected current profile to compensate for spatial holeburning. Numerical results for a three-electrode lambda /4-shifted DFB laser are presented.<
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