Direct modulation of excited state quantum dot lasers

Abstract

The use of the excited state quantum dot lasers for high speed direct modulation is proposed and demonstrated. A direct comparison of lasers utilizing the ground state and excited state from the same laser material reveals a factor of two increase in the K -factor limited bandwidth. This is attributed to an increase in the saturated gain and reduced carrier scattering time of the excited state compared to the ground state. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.