A Traveling-Wave Model of Laser Diodes with Consideration for Thermal Effects

We investigate the static and dynamic thermal effects using the large-signal traveling-wave model of laser diodes. To cope with the substantial difference in the time constants of the thermal and the optical processes, a simple and efficient iteration method is proposed and demonstrated. Therefore instead of following the time sequence constrained by the finite difference time interval, by the iteration method, we can easily locate the equilibrium point of both the thermal and optical states. Both static and transient states of a laser diode with consideration of the thermal effects are simulated. The various thermal time constants of directly modulated distributed feedback lasers observed recently are explained based on the thermal traveling-wave model.