A Model of Dual Fabry–Perot Etalon-Based External-Cavity Tunable Laser Using Finite-Difference Traveling-Wave Method

Abstract

A physical model of an external-cavity tunable laser (ECTL) utilizing the vernier effect of a dual Fabry–Perot (FP) etalon is presented and simulated using the finite-difference traveling wave (FDTW) method. In this paper, we provide a detailed explanation of the physical principle and construction process of the model, as well as the simulation results for the laser. The model is precisely established by studying the time-dependent changes in the carrier concentration and optical field of different wavelengths inside the laser before reaching a steady state. By determining multiple parameters in the tuning region and gain region, the proposed model can calculate and predict various laser parameters, such as output power and side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR). Moreover, the FDTW method displays the change process of various parameters, such as carrier concentration and spectrum, in the convergence of various positions in the laser with femtosecond time resolution. This capability is promising for in-depth research on the inner mechanism of lasers.

Keywords

• etalon
• external-cavity lasers
• finite difference methods
• laser theory
• modeling
• optical frequency combs