Abstract

The results of novel experiments designed to determine directly the gain characteristics of semiconductor lasers at threshold are presented. A model based on the concepì of optical impulse gain as distinguished from single-line gain is developed. The experiments are based upon the use of short optical pulses coupled directly to the laser stripe through an end facet. This method is shown to be superior to previous methods of determining gain, including measurements of amplified spontaneous emission, the Fabry-Perot method, and direct measurement by an external steady-state probe.

© 1983 Optical Society of America