PRECISE MEASUREMENT OF SEMICONDUCTOR-LASER CHIRP USING EFFECT OF PROPAGATION IN DISPERSIVE FIBER AND APPLICATION TO SIMULATION OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH FIBER GRATINGS

Measurements of small-signal intensity modulation from direct-modulate d distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor lasers after propagation in dispersive fiber have previously been used to extract intrinsic laser chirp parameters such as linewidth enhancement factor and crossover f requency. Here, we demonstrate that the simple rate equations do not s atisfactorily account for the frequency response of real DFB lasers an d describe some experimental techniques that conveniently determine th e precise laser chirp. Implications for simulation of high-speed light wave systems are also considered.