This chapter presents the basics of large-signal time-domain modelling using the travelling-wave time/distance nonlinear partial differential equations of the laser. The field patterns and electron densities in the laser are computed permitting electron-photon interactions to be visualised. The lasers are excited by random 'spontaneous noise' which leads to outputs which are never precisely the same from run to run. However, the random output is not normally a major drawback but the time-domain modelling of low frequency noise can require excessively long times of computation.

Inspec keywords: random noise; semiconductor lasers; partial differential equations; electron density; time-domain analysis; laser noise; semiconductor device noise; distributed feedback lasers

Other keywords: numerical modelling; DFB lasers; electron-photon interactions; low frequency noise; travelling-wave time-distance nonlinear partial differential equations; random spontaneous noise; electron densities; large-signal time-domain modelling

Subjects: Lasing action in semiconductors