Power dropout statistics of nearly-single-longitudinal-mode semiconductor lasers

An experimental study of power dropouts in the main mode of a nearly-single-longitudinal-mode GaAlAs semiconductor laser is presented. Knowledge of the statistics of main-mode power dropout interarrival times, depths, and widths is necessary to estimate the performance of a communication system using such laser diodes It is found that at a typical laser operating bias (I/I/th/ = 2.1), the mean dropout width is 1.8 ns, dropout depths are exponentially distributed, and dropouts falling below 90 percent of the average main-mode power occur at a rate of 1500 per s. Also, the rate of dropouts falling below 90 percent of the average main-mode power is found to increase substantially near mode hops, sometimes by several orders of magnitude.