Improved laser modulation response by frequency modulation to amplitude modulation conversion in transmission through a fiber grating

Abstract
We have demonstrated that transmission through a fiber grating can increase the system response of a directly modulated semiconductor laser by over 7 dB at all modulation frequencies up to 25 GHz. When combined with dispersive optical fiber, the grating produced a system response that was larger, flatter, and had a larger bandwidth, providing a frequency-domain demonstration of dispersion compensation through an unchirped grating. The effect can be understood as frequency modulation to amplitude modulation conversion by the grating, and was accurately predicted by a Fourier domain analysis of the laser signal and grating.