A synthesized method to improve coherence in semiconductor lasers by electrical feedback

Abstract

A method for improving coherence in semiconductor lasers by negative electrical feedback is proposed for stabilization of the center frequency of the field spectrum, linewidth reduction of the field spectrum, frequency tracking to another highly coherent laser, and stable and wideband frequency sweep. Experimental center frequency stabilization of the master laser showed that the magnitude of frequency fluctuations was reduced to 50 kHz at the integration time τ=3 s. The linewidth of the master laser was reduced to 100 kHz, which was 1/50 that of the free running laser. Under these frequency control conditions, the frequency of the slave laser was controlled so that the phase of the heterodyne signal between the master and the slave lasers could be locked to that of a stable microwave synthesizer. The slave laser frequency tracked accurately to the master laser frequency