EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE 1/f AMPLITUDE NOISE OF VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASERS

The low and medium frequency - 1 Hz ≤ f ≤ 100 kHz - amplitude noise characteristics of 840 nm proton-implanted VCSELs (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers) have been investigated. Experiments clearly show that the DBR (Distributed Bragg Reflector) structure represents the main electrical noise source of VCSELs. Furthermore, the electrical noise is somehow linked to the optical noise when the laser shows a "disturbed" optical spectrum with competition between very close modes.