Relative intensity noise of a quantum well transistor laser

A quantum well transistor laser with a base cavity length L = 300 μm has been designed, fabricated, and operated at threshold ITH = 25 mA (0 °C). As a consequence of the inherent advantage of the picosecond base recombination lifetime, the transistor laser is able to achieve nearly a quantum shot-noise limited laser relative intensity noise (RIN) with a peak amplitude of −151 dB/Hz at frequency 8.6 GHz. Compared with a diode laser (a charge storage device) at the same output power, the transistor laser (a charge flow device) has a better than 28 dB (number dependent on the laser device design) peak RIN advantage.