Current-Voltage (I-V) Characterizations of Laser Diodes

Presenter

Samantha Thomas

Group Members

Braden Boucher

Campus

Bridgewater State University

Sponsor

Elif Demirbas, Department of Physics, Photonics and Optical Engineering, Bridgewater State University

Schedule

Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A91, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 5 (A81-A100) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Light emitting sources made from III-V materials are the main light sources used in photonic integrated circuits (PICs). We will be measuring and analyzing current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of laser diodes, corresponding turn on voltage, and differential resistivity.  Many recent research developments have been made with III-V lasers, allowing them to be used in several application areas. The main application we are interested in is light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) that can be used for autonomous vehicles. By taking measurements of laser dies made from different materials, we can calculate their optical efficiencies and determine their performance. The results we obtained can be used when determining which lasers will be incorporated in PICs for LiDAR applications. The I-V curve of a laser diode can provide important information about the laser’s properties, including operating point, current limit, and voltage limit. We used a microscope to place the lasers, and probes that are connected to a Keithley source generator, controlled by KickStart 2 software, to deliver voltage to the laser. The resulting measurements showed a high turn on voltage and low current. To improve our results, we are running more tests using different probe tips with lower resistivity. The goal is to obtain accurate measurements to determine the optical performance of the laser dies.

Keywords

Photonics, LiDAR, Optical Engineering

Research Area

Engineering

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