Strong influence of nonlinear gain on spectral and dynamic characteristics of InGaAsP lasers

Abstract

Measurements of the longitudinal-mode spectra of 1.3 μm InGaAsP buried-heterostructure lasers are used to determine the form and magnitude of the nonlinear gain. It is shown that nonlinear gain is responsible for the anomalous longitudinal-mode spectra which appear to be universally observed in InGaAsP lasers, and also for the anomalously strong damping of the relaxation oscillations observed in pulse-modulated lasers.