Open AccessEvaluation of high-stability optical beats in laser chaos by plasmonic photomixing
Author(s) -
Fumiyoshi Kuwashima,
Mona Jarrahi,
Semih Çakmakyapan,
Osamu Morikawa,
Takuya Shirao,
Kazuyuki Iwao,
Kazuyoshi Kurihara,
Hideaki Kitahara,
Takashi Furuya,
Kenji Wada,
Makoto Nakajima,
Masahiko Tani
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.399743
Subject(s) - laser , optics , continuous wave , distributed feedback laser , materials science , laser pumping , semiconductor laser theory , terahertz radiation , optoelectronics , physics
The stability of optical beats in a chaotically oscillating laser is compared to that of a free-running continuous-wave laser using a highly efficient plasmonic photomixer. Using a chaotically oscillating laser diode, stable optical beats are observed over an operation current range of 60-90 mA. The optical spectra are stable even with frequent mode hopping. In contrast, optical beats in a free-running continuous-wave laser are not stable compared to those of a chaotically oscillating laser, because of intermittent hopping of the laser modes. The high stability of chaotically oscillating lasers makes these lasers promising candidates for optical pump sources in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy systems.