Semiconductor-laser-device assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780526-B2
Application number	US-201514933664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A semiconductor-laser-device assembly includes a mode-locked semiconductor-laser-element assembly including a mode-locked semiconductor laser element, and a dispersion compensation optical system, on which laser light emitted from the mode-locked semiconductor laser element is incident and from which the laser light is emitted; and a semiconductor optical amplifier having a layered structure body including a group III-V nitride-based semiconductor layer, the semiconductor optical amplifier configured to amplify the laser light emitted from the mode-locked semiconductor-laser-element assembly.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A semiconductor-laser-device assembly comprising:
a semiconductor laser element,
a dispersion compensation optical system configured to receive laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element, and
a semiconductor optical amplifier having a layered structure body including a group III-V nitride-based semiconductor layer,
wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier is configured to receive a portion of the laser light incident on the dispersion compensation optical system and to amplify the laser light,
wherein the dispersion compensation optical system includes a diffraction grating.

2. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the semiconductor laser element includes a mode-locked semiconductor laser element.

3. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a reflecting mirror, and wherein a dispersion compensation amount of the dispersion compensation optical system is configured to be changed by changing a distance between the diffraction grating and the reflecting mirror.

4. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the diffraction grating includes a first diffraction grating and a second diffraction grating, and wherein the first diffraction grating is arranged in parallel to the second diffraction grating.

5. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 4 ,
wherein a group-velocity dispersion value of the dispersion compensation optical system is configured to be changed by changing a distance between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating.

6. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein τ 1 >τ 2 is established,
where τ 1 is a pulse time width of the laser light incident on the semiconductor optical amplifier and τ 2 is a pulse time width of the laser light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier, and
wherein a value of τ 2 decreases as a driving current value of the semiconductor optical amplifier increases.

7. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier has an optical spectrum width of 4.5 THz or larger.

8. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier has a driving current density of 5×10 3 amperes/cm 2 or higher.

9. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier has an optical confinement factor of 3% or smaller.

10. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light output from the semiconductor-laser-element assembly includes a frequency chirp being negative and a pulse time width of 0.5 picoseconds or smaller.

11. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the laser light includes a repetition frequency of 1 GHz or lower.

12. A semiconductor-laser-device assembly comprising:
a semiconductor laser element,
a dispersion compensation optical system configured to receive laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element, and
a semiconductor optical amplifier having a layered structure body including a group III-V nitride-based semiconductor layer,
wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier is configured to receive a portion of the laser light incident on the dispersion compensation optical system and to amplify the laser light,
wherein the dispersion compensation optical system includes a prism.

13. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 12 , further comprising a reflecting mirror, and wherein a dispersion compensation amount of the dispersion compensation optical system is configured to be changed by changing a distance between the prism and the reflecting mirror.

14. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 12 ,
wherein the prism includes a first prism and a second prism, and wherein the first prism and the second prism are arranged in a point symmetric manner.

15. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 14 ,
wherein a group-velocity dispersion value of the dispersion compensation optical system is configured to be changed by changing a distance between the first prism and the second prism.

16. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the laser light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier has an optical spectrum width of 4.5 THz or larger.

17. A semiconductor-laser-device assembly comprising:
a semiconductor laser element,
a dispersion compensation optical system configured to receive laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element, and
a semiconductor optical amplifier having a layered structure body including a group III-V nitride-based semiconductor layer,
wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier is configured to receive a portion of the laser light incident on the dispersion compensation optical system and to amplify the laser light,
wherein the dispersion compensation optical system includes a Gires-Tournois interferometer.

18. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the Gires-Tournois interferometer includes a reflecting mirror with a reflectivity of 1 and a partially reflecting mirror with a reflectivity smaller than 1.

19. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 18 ,
wherein a group-velocity dispersion value of the dispersion compensation optical system is configured to be changed by changing a distance between the reflecting mirror and the partially reflecting mirror or by adjusting an incidence angle of the laser light.

20. The semiconductor-laser-device assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the laser light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier has an optical spectrum width of 4.5 THz or larger.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Kono Shunsuke
• Kuramoto Masaru
• Koda Rintaro

Classifications

• H01S5/0057

  for temporal shaping, e.g. pulse compression, frequency chirping · CPC title

• H01S5/143

  Littman-Metcalf configuration, e.g. laser - grating - mirror · CPC title

• H01S5/065

  Mode locking; Mode suppression; Mode selection {; Self pulsating} · CPC title

• H01S5/50

  Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30 · CPC title

• H01S3/08004

  incorporating a dispersive element, e.g. a prism for wavelength selection (H01S3/0811, H01S3/08022 take precedence) · CPC title