Modelling of experimentally measured Q-switched pulsations in InGaAs/GaAs diode lasers

A numerical calculation of a passively Q-switched two-section ridge-waveguide InGaAs/GaAs diode laser is presented in this study. The author has modelled the output power–current (L–I) variation under cw conditions, time evolution of photon numbers under transient conditions and Q-switched pulses of the device for various reverse bias voltages to the absorber section. Resulting simulations of the L–I characterisation and Q-switched pulsations are compared quantitatively with experimental results. Simulated Q-switched pulse profiles have been obtained in the absence and presence of noise. In both cases, proposed model shows that a tail occurring at the end of the Q-switched pulse is eliminated at −7.5 V reverse bias voltage, which is confirmed by experiment. As a result, experimentally obtained tail-free and single peak picosecond Q-switched pulses with peak powers of ∼1 W and durations of typically tens of picoseconds are also demonstrated theoretically. Simulations show consistency with the experimental data.