Optical transmitter using side-mode injection locking for high-speed photonic LANs

This paper discusses an optical transmitter in parallel transmission systems using variable wavelengths. We propose to apply side-mode injection locking using a Fabry-Pérot laser to realize this transmitter. Important characteristics are the injection power required for single-mode lasing of a slave laser diode (LD) and its dependence on side mode m. This paper measures the required power as a function of m and proposes a new simple theory to explain the measured data. The linewidths of injection-locked LDs were experimentally investigated as a function of m. The relation between the linewidths of master and slave LDs were also measured. Finally, the paper describes fundamental transmission experiments at 1 Gb/s using an injection-locked LD to clarify the side-mode dependence of bit-error rate.