Patent ID: 6272163
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A method for fabricating a laser having a Fabry-Perot laser cavity structure, comprising the steps of:providing a laser having a cleaved cavity;selecting a facet reflectivity product for the laser which will cause the laser to have a relaxation oscillation frequency of at least 10 GHz when a predetermined current bias is applied to the laser, wherein selecting a facet reflectivity product includes measuring the relative intensity noise (RIN) spectrum of at least one conventionally fabricated Fabry-Perot laser having different facet reflectivities when driven at a plurality of current biases different from the predetermined current bias, and using data obtained from RIN spectrum measurements in the equation ##EQU5##wherein f.sub.r is the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser, w is the width of the laser cavity, h is the quantum efficiency, J.sub.o is the saturation current density, G is the optical confinement factor, a is the distributed loss, G.sub.o is the saturation gain, L is the length of the laser cavity, I is the bias current, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the reflectivities of the facets, and wherein B is a laser specific constant which can be written as ##EQU6##wherein d is the thickness of the laser cavity and q is the charge of an electron, for determining a facet reflectivity product which will maintain f.sub.r at each one of the plurality of current biases; andapplying reflective coatings to the facets, wherein the coatings have reflectivities selected to produce a reflectivity product that is substantially equal to the selected facet reflectivity product.