Dynamics of spatial hole burning effects in DFB lasers

A lumped small-signal model for intensity and frequency modulation response of semiconductor lasers, including the effects of longitudinal spatial hole burning (SHB), is presented. It is shown that the laser dynamics including SHB-effects can be accurately described by three small-signal rate equations. The simplicity of the model gives new insight into SHB-effects on modulation response and cavity state stability. It is shown that SHB-effects have a cut-off frequency that depends on the carrier lifetime (including stimulated recombination) and the feedback of perturbations in the longitudinal intensity distribution during modulation.>