Improving the characteristics of the modulation response for fiber Bragg grating Fabry–Perot lasers by optimizing model parameters

A unified and comprehensive study on the small-signal intensity and frequency modulation characteristics of a fiber Bragg grating Fabry–Perot (FBG–FP) laser are numerically investigated. The effect of injection current, temperature, external optical feedback (OFB), nonlinear gain compression factor, fiber grating (FG) parameters and spontaneous emission factor on modulation response characteristics are presented. The rate equations of the laser model are presented in the form that the effect of temperature (T) and external optical feedback (OFB) are included. The temperature dependence (TD) of laser response is calculated according to the TD of laser cavity parameters instead of directly using the well-known Parkove equation. It is shown that the optimum external fiber length (Lext) is 3.1 cm and the optimum range of working temperature for FGFP laser is within ±2 °C from the FBG reference temperature (To). Also, the antireflection (AR) coating reflectivity and the linewidth enhancement factor have no significant effect on the modulation spectra. It is also show that modulation response is extremely sensitive to the OFB level, high injection current and gain compression factor. The study indicates clearly that good dynamic characteristic can be obtained by system parameters optimization.

► A comprehensive study on the modulation response of FGFP laser has been presented.
► Laser rate equations modified to include OFB, T and external cavity parameters.
► Effects of laser and FG parameters on modulation response have been presented.
► By optimizing laser parameters, modulation responses are improved significantly.