Continuous Assessment Test – 2

B. Tech ECE
OPTOELECTRONICS & ECE1007

Slot: C2 Exam Duration: 90 MINUTES Maximum Marks:50

Answer all the questions, Label the Schematics, Include relevant equation, show substitutions, and
write units for solutions to problems

Q1. a) Assuming that the refractive index depends on the wavelength as n = n0+ (λ− λ0), [10]

find the separation ∆λ between the allowed modes for a GaAs laser at λ0 = 0.89 μm,

L = 300 μm, n0 = 3.58, = 2.5 μm−1

b) A laser diode emitting at λ0 = 850 nm has a gain spectral width of 32 nm and a peak
gain of g(0) = 50 cm-1, plot g (λ) vs λ .

c) Where g(λ)=g(0) exp [-(λ-λ0)2 /2σ2]. If αt = 32.2 cm-1, show the region where lasing
takes place.

d) If the laser is 400 µm long and n is 3.6, how many modes will be excited in this laser?

Q2. a) The coated mirror reflectivity at either end of the 350 μm long optical cavity of an [10]
injection laser is 0.5 and 0.65. At normal operating temperature the threshold current
density for the device is 2 × 103 A cm−2 and the gain factor β is 22 ×10−3 cm A−1.
Estimate the loss coefficient in the optical cavity.
b) Estimate the external power efficiency of a GaAs planar LED when the transmission
factor of the GaAs–air interface is 0.48 and the internally generated optical power is
45% of the electric power supplied. The refractive index of GaAs may be taken as
2.6.
Q3. (a) Discuss the reliability of LEDs in comparison with injection lasers. Estimate the CW [10]
operating lifetime for an AlGaAs LED with an activation energy of 0.5 eV and a constant
of proportionality (β0) of 2.3 × 103 h−1 when the junction temperature of the device is
constant at 40 °C. It may be assumed that the LED is no longer useful when its optical
output power is 0.95 of its original value.
(b) Describe the relationship between the electrical and optical modulation bandwidths for
an optical fiber communication system. Estimate the 3 dB optical bandwidth
corresponding to a 3 dB electrical bandwidth of 50 MHz. A Gaussian frequency response
may be assumed.

1
Q4 (a) Estimate the optical power coupled into a step index fiber of 50 μm core diameter with [5]
an NA of 0.16 from a DH surface emitter with an emission area diameter of 75 μm and a
radiance of 50 W sr−1 cm−2. The Fresnel reflection at the index-matched semiconductor–
fiber interface may be considered negligible. Further, determine the optical loss when
coupling light into the fiber relative to the power emitted by the device into air if the
Fresnel reflection at the semiconductor– air interface is 38%.

. Q4 (b) The Fresnel reflection coefficient fiber core of refractive index n1 is given [5]
approximately from the classical Fresnel formulae by r= where n
is the refractive index of the surrounding medium. Estimate the optical loss due to Fresnel
reflection at a fiber core from GaAs each of refractive indices 1.48 and 3.58 respectively.
Calculate the optical power coupled in to the 300 µm diameter core step index fiber with
an numerical aperture of 0.25 from a GaAs surface emitting LED with an emission
diameter of 90 µm and a radiance of 35 WSr-1cm-2. And also estimate the optical power
emitted into air for the device. Determine the overall conversion efficiency for the LED if
it is operating with a drive current of 200 mA and a forward voltage of 1.9 V

Q5 a) The energy bandgap for lightly doped gallium arsenide at room temperature is 1.43 eV. [10]
When the material is heavily doped (degenerative) it is found that the lasing transitions
involve ‘bandtail’ states which effectively reduce the bandgap transition by 8%.

b) Determine the difference in the emission wavelength of the light between the lightly
doped and this heavily doped case.

c) A DH injection laser has an optical cavity of length 50 μm and width 15 μm. At

normal operating temperature the loss coefficient is 10 cm−1 and the current threshold is
50 mA. When the mirror reflectivity at each end of the optical cavity is 0.3, estimate the
gain factor β for the device. It may be assumed that the current is confined to the optical
cavity.