Performance Analysis on a Dual External Cavity Tunable Laser ECTL Source
- 1 Department of Electrical Engineering, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
- 2 Department of Electronics, Communications and Computer Engineering, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
- 3 Department of Electrical Engineering, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
Abstract
This paper presents the diffraction effects on the performance of a dual external cavity tunable laser source, whose external cavities are constructed by micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). One of the main problems in these structures is the optical diffraction as the emitting surface of the laser diode is usually quite limited in the transverse directions. The emitted beam diffracts rapidly in the air and only a small amount of light is coupled back to the source that usually limits the tuning range of the source. Device characteristics such as tuning range, wavelength shift and sensitivity are evaluated. New expression is used and multiple reflections inside external cavities are considered. The simulation results have shown that single external cavity has limited tuning range. It is shown that multiple reflections have significant effect in our model. To get a better engineering for the dual ECTL dimensions, diffraction effects must be taken into account.
- Coldren, L.A., Fish, G.A., Akulova, Y., Barton, J.S., Johansson, L. and Coldren, C.W. (2004) Tunable Semiconductor Lasers: A Tutorial. Journal of Lightwave Technology, 22, 193-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JLT.2003.822207
- Liu, A.Q. (2004) Photonic MEMS Devices: Design, Fabrication and Control. CRC Press, Boca Raton.
- Liu, A.Q. and Zhang, X.M. (2004) A Review of MEMS External-Cavity Tunable Lasers. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 17, R1-R13.
- Liu, A.Q., Zhang, X.M., Tang, D.Y. and Lu, C. (2004) Tunable Laser Using Micro Machined Grating with Continuous Wavelength Tuning. Applied Physics Letters, 85, 3684-3686.
- Zhang, X.M., Liu, A.Q., Tang, D.Y. and Lu, C. (2004) Discrete Wavelength Tunable Laser Using Microelectromechanical Systems Technology. Applied Physics Letters, 84, 329-331
- Solgaard, O. (2009) Photonic Microsystems: Micro and Nanotechnology Applied to Optical Devices and Systems. Springer, New York.
- Liu, A.Q., Zhang, X.M., Murukeshan, V.M. and Lam, Y.L. (2001) A Novel Integrated Micromachined Tunable Laser Using Polysilicon 3-D Mirror. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 13, 427-429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/68.920739
- Zhu, W.M., Zhang, W., Cai, H., Tamil, J., Liu, B., Bourouina, T. and Liu, A.Q. (2009) A MEMS Digital Mirror for Tunable Laser Wavelength Selection. International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (TRANSDUCERS 2009), Denver, 21-25 June 2009, 2206-2209.
- Sabry, Y.M., Khalil, D., Saadany, B. and Bourouina, T. (2013) Multi-Step Etching of Three-Dimensional Sub-Millimetre Curved Silicon Microstructures with In-Plane Principal Axis. Journal of Microelectronic Engineering, 114, 78-84.
- Sabry, Y.M., Saadany, B., Khalil, D. and Bourouina, T. (2013) Silicon Micromirrors with Three-Dimensional Curvature Enabling Lensless Efficient Coupling of Free-Space Light. Light: Science & Applications, 2, e94.
- Zhu, X. and Cassidy, D.T. (1996) Liquid Detection with InGaAsP Semiconductor Lasers Having Multiple Short External Cavities. Applied Optics, 35, 4689-4693. http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/AO.35.004689
- Abu-El-Magd, A.M. (2005) Double Tuning of A Dual External Cavity Semi Conductor Laser For Broad Wavelength Tuning With High Side Mode Suppression. Master Thesis, McMaster University, Hamilton.
- Fawzy, A., El-Sabban, S., Ismail, I. and Khalil, D. (2013) On the Modeling of an External Cavity Tunable Laser ECTL Source with Finite Mirror Dimensions. Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Stockholm, 12-15 August 2013, 691-694.