Wir erforschen r?umlich Modenprofile in Wellenleitern mit Submikrometerabmessungen. Daf?r wird die optische Nahfeldmikroskopie in Kombination mit durchstimmbaren Laseranregungsquellen eingesetzt. Wir zeigen, wie das Nano-Photolumineszenzsignal von den Facetten von Quantentroglasern benutzt werden kann, um in diesem Bereich Oberfl?chenrekombination und Diffusionsl?ngeunabh?ngig voneinander zu bestimmen. Damit werden wichtige Informationen ?ber Haftstellen und deren Konzentration an Bauelementeoberfl?chen gewonnen. Eigenmoden in quasi-2-dimensionalen plasmonischen Kristallen sowie ihre Bandstruktur werden direkt gemessen und abgebildet. Messungen der Relaxation der Oberfl?chenplasmonanregung in der Raum- und Zeitdom?ne erlauben die Aufkl?rungder mikroskopischen Natur der Oberfl?chenplasmonemission. / Methods of the near-field spectroscopy combined with tunable laser excitation was used in order to perform investigation of the modeprofiles of submicron-sized waveguides in semiconductor device lasers. It was shown that the nano-photoluminescence signal at facets of a quantum well laser can be used to obtain surface recombination velocity and diffusion length independently and provide important information about concentration of trap-like defect states. Eigenmodes of the quasi-two-dimensional plasmonic crystals as well as their dispersion relations were directly mapped. The temporal and spatial domain measurement of the damping time of the surface plasmon excitation allow to reveal microscopic origins of surface plasmon radiation in such suchstructures.

Au cours des dix dernières années, les performances des lasers à cascade quantique dans le moyen infrarouge ont connu une progression rapide: Les rendements ont atteint des valeurs supérieures à 20% avec une puissance d’émission de 5W en régime continu, à température ambiante. Ces valeurs ont été atteintes notamment grâce à la diminution de la sensibilité des lasers à l’échauffement, avec des températures caractéristiques T0 s’approchant de 300K. Les performances sont donc actuellement limitées par la puissance injectée, qui est proportionnelle à la taille de la zone de gain. Les travaux de cette thèse présentent une solution innovante, consistant à combiner un réseau d’émetteurs de petites tailles de façon monolithique. Nous démontrons expérimentalement pour la première fois, des dispositifs jusqu’à 32 émetteurs de 2µm de larges, émettant en phase par couplage évanescent. De plus, nous mettons en évidences des résistances thermiques record. Ces résultats mettent en évidence la possibilité de fabriquer des sources de hautes puissances (supérieures à 10W) dans le moyen-infrarouge avec une très bonne qualité de faisceau. / During the last 10 years, the quantum cascade lasers performances in the mid-infrared have been considerably improved: the wall plug efficiency has reached values superior to 20%, with output power up to 5W in continuous wave operation, at room temperature. Those values have been achieved due to the reduction of the temperature sensibility of the lasers, with characteristic temperature T0 reaching 300K. The output power is now limited to the injected power, which is proportional to the gain region size. This thesis reports an innovating solution consisting on beam combining an array of narrow emitters, monolithically. We experimentally demonstrate for the first time devices of up to 32 emitters of 2µm width emitting in phase by evanescent coupling. Moreover, we show record thermal resistance. Those results highlight the possibility to fabricate high power sources (superior to 10 W) in the mid-infrared, with a good beam quality.

Optical frequency standards with the reference to a narrow electronic transition of a laser-cooled collection of neutral atomic particles are becoming essential tools of research in modern precision physics experiments. In the core of a building block of an optical frequency standard is the optical continuous wave laser that has a good spectral purity of the emitted light. Such a stable optical oscillator is highly desirable in high resolution spectroscopy, if it emits in a good quality beam at a short visible wavelength. This Master thesis explores efficient techniques for building such an optical frequency source intended for use in the cooling and trapping of Calcium atoms scheme. The strong dipole transition at the blue wavelength in the atomic Calcium is needed to reduce the kinetic energy of atoms by nearly six orders of magnitude. A further reduction in the thermal energy of the laser cooled atoms is required to locate with ultra-high precision the 400 Hz narrow clock transition of the stable 40Ca isotope. The experimental methods that achieve this and approach sub-microkelvin temperature of the laser cooled bosonic isotopes of alkaline earths are inspected. The blue laser with a uniform intensity distribution in the beam is useful to maintain the trapped number of cold atoms during these experiments. The spectroscopic properties of the relative transitions in Calcium atom are also reviewed following relevant publications in the area. The constructed blue laser can be used as a primary wavelength source in the lasers network for cooling and trapping of Calcium atoms. These experiments will constitute part of the project to build an optical atom clock referenced to 40Ca narrow linewidth transition. The blue laser is constructed by generating second harmonic in a Potassium Niobate crystal, which is temperature controlled to use a type-I noncritical phase-matching of the optical nonlinear process. The power of the intracavity-generated second harmonic depends on the resonance properties of the optical resonator where this nonlinear crystal is placed. The study is aimed at characterising the designed optical resonator and the experimental parameters that describe it. The formula is derived that relates the resonance power enhancement coefficient with finesse and the power coupling contrast of a passive optical cavity. The obtained relationship is verfied during the experiments. The produced efficiency of the intracavity second harmonic generation is approx. 0.0023 mWblue/(mWred)2. The research work also examines the noise characteristics of the infrared diode laser that is used as a pump source for the intracavity generated second harmonic and determines the spectroscopic precision of the produced blue light. The frequency locking experiment is analysed using the unbalanced scheme of the polarisation stabilisation technique. The designed optical buildup cavity became a part of the unbalanced frequency discriminator in such a scheme. The results demonstrate high gain of frequency noise suppression of the stabilised laser. The unbalanced arrangement of the H}ansch-Couillaud technique has been possible due to a very low amplitude noise of semiconductor lasers.

This thesis is motivated by the intense research in chaos-based communications in the last years. This thesis focuses on the reconstruction of the nonlinear dynamic of time-delay systems by using an embedding-like approach. This method works with a special embedding space that includes both short time and feedback time delayed values of the system variable. We use a new type of modular neural network based on the structure of time-delay systems. We also carefully investigate the time delay identification from the time series, a crucial parameter to construct the special embedding vector. Finally we use the reconstructed models to show the vulnerability of the chaos-based communication system based on time-delay systems and to study the predictability of these systems. Although we mainly study electro-optical feedback systems, the techniques investigated in this thesis have a general applicability to scalar time-delay systems. / El objetivo de esta tesis es estudiar la confidencialidad de los sistemas de comunicaciones caóticas basados en sistemas con retraso. Para ello, la tesis se centra en la reconstrucción de la dinámica no lineal de sistemas con retraso usando un embedding especial. Este embedding especial incluye no solo los tiempos cercanos sino también los tiempos centrados alrededor del retraso del sistema. Dado que conocer el tiempo de retraso es esencial para la construcción del este embedding, en la tesis también se analiza la identificación del tiempo de retraso a partir de la serie temporal. Usando un nuevo tipo de red neuronal modular y este embedding hemos construido modelos que reconstruyen la dinámica no lineal de los sistemas escalares con retraso a partir de la serie temporal. A continuación estos modelos se usan para mostrar la vulnerabilidad de los sistemas de comunicación basados en sistemas con retraso y para estudiar la predictibilidad de estos sistemas. Aunque básicamente nos hemos centrado en el estudio de sistemas opto-electrónicos con retraso, las técnicas presentadas en esta tesis se pueden aplicar a cualquier sistema escalar con retraso.

The subject of this thesis is the exploration of new concepts for compact solid-state lasers in the visible and near-infrared spectral range using new components such as volume Bragg gratings for wavelength stabilisation and wavelength tuning. Also single-walled carbon nanotubes for mode-locking and Q-switching of lasers have been studied.We have developed a new method for the tuning of solid-state lasers by replacing a dielectric mirror with a transversally chirped volume Bragg grating, which allows smooth wavelength tuning without additional elements inside the laser cavity. The result is a more compact laser, since the tuning mechanism and output coupler are incorporated in one component. Another benefit is an increased efficiency, since additional elements inside the cavity will always add to the total loss of the laser. This has been demonstrated for a broadband ytterbium laser around 1 µm and a single-longitudinal-mode Nd:YVO4 laser around 1.06 µm. A volume Bragg grating has also been used to construct an efficient, narrow-linewidth ytterbium fiber laser and the employment of a volume Bragg gratingas the pump mirror of a solid-state laser for frequency-doubling has been investigated. Both lasers represent a practical solution, eliminating the use of additional intracavity elements. Second-harmonic generation is an efficient way to access the visible spectral range using diode-pumped solid-state lasers. However, these lasers can suffer from large amplitude fluctuations, which has been analyzed in more detail for an optically-pumped semiconductor disk-laser and a volume Bragg grating locked ytterbiumlaser. The control of those amplitude fluctuations is very important, since many applications like fluorescence microscopy require a laser with a constant output power and as little noise as possible. In addition to this, we have demonstrated, that saturable absorbers based on quan-tum dots and carbon nanotubes can be used to mode-lock compact laser at a wavelength around 1.03 µm. Those lasers have many interesting applications incommunications, clock generation, metrology and life sciences. / <p>QC 20130507</p>

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:14:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 parte1.pdf: 1564749 bytes, checksum: f636c3379c524ad8d77d3be5f44c4c36 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / We analyze the dynamics of semiconductor lasers radiation frequency when these lasers are subject to different conditions of optical feedback, and we demonstrate how it is possible to control the emission frequency using the different configurations explored. In the first system studied a semiconductor laser is fed back with light which polarization is orthogonal to the output polarization, spectrally filtered by a cesium atomic vapor. This system, besides presenting an effective technique to stabilize the laser frequency and reduce the laser linewidth, was the first to exhibit frequency bistable and multistable optical regimes with amplitude practically constant. This unique feature opens the way for applications in all-optical FM logical devices. The bistable and multistable regimes are interpreted through a phenomenological model, and, for the bistable regime, we discuss a rate equation model, built taking in account thermal effects and gain saturation. We also present an all-optical frequency switch, the first of his kind. The second system is used to investigate the behavior of the emission frequency of a semiconductor laser with an external cavity, inside which is placed an atomic filter. For different values of the injection current we observe the laser frequency locking in the atomic line, bistability and reproducible frequency instabilities. / Estudamos a dinâmica em frequência da radiação emitida por lasers semicondutores submetidos a diferentes condições de realimentação ótica e demonstramos como é possível o controle da frequência de emissão pelo uso das diferentes configurações exploradas. No primeiro sistema estudado, um laser semicondutor é realimentado por luz com polarização ortogonal á de saída, filtrada espectralmente por vapor atômico de césio. Além de apresentar uma técnica efetiva para estabilização da frequência laser e redução de largura de linha, esse foi o primeiro sistema a exibir regimes de biestabilidade e multiestabilidade ótica exclusivamente em sua frequência, ou seja, com amplitude constante. Essa característica única abre caminho para aplicações desta técnica em dispositivos lógicos FM do tipo tudo ótico . O aparecimento desses regimes é analizado através de um modelo fenomenológico e, para o caso biestável, construímos também um modelo de equações de taxa, onde levamos em conta efeitos térmicos e de saturação de ganho no laser semicondutor. Como aplicação dessa técnica apresentamos o funcionamento de uma chave em frequência do tipo tudo-ótico , a primeira deste gênero. O segundo sistema experimentalmente investigado foi concebido para produzir um comportamento dinâmico da frequência de um laser semicondutor com cavidade estendida quando um filtro atômico é posicionado dentro dessa cavidade. Para diferentes valores da corrente de injeção observamos o travamento da frequência laser na linha atômica, biestabilidade e instabilidades não aleatórias.

L'avancement de la communication numérique optique dans les réseaux longue distance et d'accès a déclenché les technologies émergentes dans le domaine micro-ondes / ondes millimétriques. Ces systèmes hybrides sont fortement influencés non seulement par les déficiences de liens optiques mais aussi des effets de circuits électriques. Les effets optiques et électriques peuvent être ainsi étudiés en même temps en utilisant des outils assistés par ordinateur en développant des modèles de circuit équivalent de l'ensemble des composants de liaison tels que les lasers à semi-conducteurs, modulateurs, photo-détecteurs et fibre optique. Dans cette thèse, les représentations de circuit des composants de liaison photoniques sont développées pour étudier des architectures différentes. Depuis la source de lumière optique est le principal facteur limitant de la liaison optique, une attention particulière est accordée aux caractéristiques, y compris les plus importants de simples lasers en mode semi-conducteurs. Le modèle de circuit équivalent de laser qui représente l'enveloppe du signal optique est modifié pour inclure les propriétés de bruit de phase du laser. Cette modification est particulièrement nécessaire d'étudier les systèmes où le bruit de phase optique est important. Ces systèmes comprennent des systèmes de télécommande hétérodynes optiques et des systèmes auto-hétérodynes optiques. Les résultats de mesure des caractéristiques de laser sont comparés aux résultats de simulation afin de valider le modèle de circuit équivalent dans des conditions différentes. Il est démontré que le modèle de circuit équivalent peut prédire avec précision les comportements des composants pour les simulations au niveau du système. Pour démontrer la capacité du modèle de circuit équivalent de la liaison photonique pour analyser les systèmes micro-ondes / ondes millimétriques, le nouveau modèle de circuit du laser avec les modèles comportementaux des autres composants sont utilisés pour caractériser différents radio sur fibre (RoF) liens tels que la modulation d'intensité - détection directe (IM-DD) et les systèmes RoF hétérodynes optique. Signal sans fil avec des spécifications conformes à la norme de IEEE 802.15.3c pour la bande de fréquence à ondes millimétriques est transmis sur les liens RoF. La performance du système est analysée sur la base de l'évaluation de l'EVM. L'analyse montre que l'analyse efficace des systèmes de photonique micro-ondes / ondes millimétriques est obtenue en utilisant des modèles de circuit qui nous permet de prendre en compte les comportements à la fois électriques et optiques en même temps / The advancement of digital optical communication in the long-haul and access networks has triggered emerging technologies in the microwave/millimeter-wave domain. These hybrid systems are highly influenced not only by the optical link impairments but also electrical circuit effects. The optical and electrical effects can be well studied at the same time using computer aided tools by developing equivalent circuit models of the whole link components such as semiconductor lasers, modulators, photo detectors and optical fiber. In this thesis, circuit representations of the photonic link components are developed to study different architectures. Since the optical light source is the main limiting factor of the optical link, particular attention is given to including the most important characteristics of single mode semiconductor lasers. The laser equivalent circuit model which represents the envelope of the optical signal is modified to include the laser phase noise properties. This modification is particularly necessary to study systems where the optical phase noise is important. Such systems include optical remote heterodyne systems and optical self-heterodyne systems. Measurement results of the laser characteristics are compared with simulation results in order to validate the equivalent circuit model under different conditions. It is shown that the equivalent circuit model can precisely predict the component behaviors for system level simulations. To demonstrate the capability of the equivalent circuit model of the photonic link to analyze microwave/millimeter-wave systems, the new circuit model of the laser along with the behavioral models of other components are used to characterize different radio-over-fiber (RoF) links such as intensity modulation – direct detection (IM-DD) and optical heterodyne RoF systems. Wireless signal with specifications complying with IEEE 802.15.3c standard for the millimeter-wave frequency band is transmitted over the RoF links. The system performance is analyzed based on EVM evaluation. The analysis shows that effective analysis of microwave/millimeter-wave photonics systems is achieved by using circuit models which allows us to take into account both electrical and optical behaviors at the same time

Le présent travail de thèse a été effectué dans le cadre du projet CPER-FEDER MATISSE, projet coordonné par l’UTT regroupant deux autres partenaires : Nanovation et l’URCA. Le projet avait pour ambition la croissance des couches minces de ZnO de haute qualité et leur valorisation.Le ZnO cristallin est un semiconducteur à grand gap avec d’excellentes propriétés optiques. Son énergie de liaison excitonique de 60meV est l’une des caractéristiques qui lui valent tant d’attention malgré sa difficile gravure physique qui hypothèque la réalisation de composants photoniques compacts. En effet, la longueur d’onde d’émission du ZnO est de l’ordre de 375nm, impliquant l’utilisation de structures de petite taille dont la réalisation relève des nanotechnologies.Trois objectifs scientifiques ont été poursuivis : l’amélioration de l’extraction de l’émission excitonique dans les couches minces de ZnO par ingénierie de gap en utilisant les cristaux photoniques, l’émission laser et son contrôle et enfin, le transfert d’énergie du ZnO vers les QDots comme couche de phosphores pour la conversion de l’émission UV en lumière blanche. Pour y parvenir, deux technologies ont été utilisées : la croissance PLD (Nanovation) et la structuration par approche top-down délaissée par la communauté scientifique.La thèse traite de la structuration par lithographie électronique combinée à la gravure RIE-ICP et les études scientifiques associées. Les résultats obtenus sont concluants avec parfois des records comme pour le gain (>1000cm-1) et les pertes optiques (<10cm-1). Nous avons également procédé à la réalisation des premiers composants optoélectroniques : laser MIS et photodétecteur MSM / This work was conducted in the framework of the MATISSE project supported by the CPER-FEDER. Coordinated by UTT and including two other partners: Nanovation and URCA, the main project objective was the growth of high quality ZnO thin films and their valorization.ZnO is a wide band gap semiconductor with excellent optical properties. Its exciton binding energy (60meV) is one of the most important characteristics that earned to ZnO more attention despite its physical etching which is difficult to perform. Indeed, the excitonic emission of ZnO occurs approximately at 375nm, which involves the use of small structures whose achievement leads to the use of nanotechnology.Three scientific objectives were pursued: improving the extraction of the excitonic emission in ZnO thin films by engineering the photonic band gap by using photonic crystals, laser emission and control and finally, energy transfer from ZnO to QDots used as phosphors for down conversion of the UV emission to white emission. To achieve this, two technologies were used: PLD growth (Nanovation) and top-down structuring approach neglected by the scientific community.The thesis mainly deals with the structuring by electron beam lithography combined with ICP - RIE and related scientific studies. Conclusive results have been obtained such as high optical gain (>1000 cm-1) and low optical losses (<10 cm-1). We also carried out first optoelectronic components: MIS laser and MSM photodetector

Cette thèse propose une nouvelle méthode pour générer des spectres continus avec des applications possibles dans les réseaux d'accès optiques WDM. Cette nouvelle méthode devrait permettre le développement d'une structure laser type continuum avec de meilleures performances en termes de coût et de simplicité comparées aux sources supercontinuum actuelles. Dans ce but, nous avons analysé la possibilité d'élargir les modes résonants d'une cavité Fabry-Perot en n’agissant que sur la conception de l'un des miroirs de la cavité. La conception du miroir est réalisée avec un algorithme génétique en ciblant un spectre de réflectivité souhaitée. Un milieu actif est alors ajouté à l'intérieur de la cavité formée avec un tel miroir synthétisé et son comportement en dessous du seuil est simulé. Les spectres des cavités ainsi obtenues sont continus sur une bande de 5 à 15nm. / This thesis proposes a new method for the generation of continuous spectra with possible applications in optical WDM access networks. This new method would allow the development of a continuum laser type structure with better performances in terms of cost and simplicity compared to the current supercontinuum sources. For this purpose, we have analyzed the possibility of extending the resonant modes of a Fabry-Perot cavity acting only on the design of one of the cavity mirrors. The design of the mirror is generated with a genetic algorithm targeting a desired reflectivity spectrum. An active medium is then added inside the cavity formed with the synthesized mirror and the cavity’s emission is simulated below the lasing threshold. The spectra thus obtained are continuous on an interval of 5 to 15 nm.

Le besoin incessant de débits toujours plus élevés dans les systèmes de télécommunications a un impact sur tous les éléments composant la chaine de transmission. Ainsi, pour faire face à l’augmentation croissante du volume de données échangées à travers le monde, le développement de nouvelles sources optiques semi-conductrices est absolument nécessaire. La modulation directe de lasers nanostructurés constitue une alternative bas coût et à faible consommation énergétique qui permettra de remplacer progressivement les diodes lasers à puits quantiques actuelles. De nombreux efforts en recherche ont été consacrés au cours des dernières années en vue d’améliorer les performances dynamiques des lasers nanostructurés notamment en terme de bande passante, de facteur de couplage phase-amplitude (facteur α) et de dérive de fréquence (chirp). Pour les applications aux très grands réseaux et systèmes de communication, la croissance d’îlots ou de fils quantiques déposés sur substrat InP permet de réaliser des dispositifs nanostructurés émettant dans le proche infra-rouge autours de 1550 nm. Dans ce mémoire, la dynamique de modulation des lasers nanostructuré est étudiée en régime de modulation directe. Les caractéristiques analysées comprennent: la modulation en amplitude (AM) et en fréquence (FM), le chirp, et les réponses en régime grandsignal. Grâce à une approche semi-analytique, il est démontré que la bande passante et l’amortissement sont fortement limités par les phénomènes de capture et de relaxation des porteurs de charge dans les nanostructures. Afin d’étudier les propriétés du facteur α et du chirp, un nouveau modèle dynamique a été proposé, prenant en compte la contribution à l’indice optique des porteurs de charge dans des états hors résonance. Il est ainsi montré que, contrairement au cas des lasers à puits quantiques, le facteur α dépend fortement du courant de pompe et de la fréquence de modulation. Le facteur α reste constant à basses fréquences (<0,1 GHz) et supérieur aux valeurs obtenues à hautes fréquences (au-delà de quelques GHz) à partir de la technique FM/AM. Ces caractéristiques sont essentiellement attribuées aux contributions des porteurs dans les états hors résonance. Les simulations montrent que le facteur α peut être réduit en augmentant la séparation énergétique entre l’état fondamental résonant (GS) et les états hors résonance. En particulier, un effet laser sur 1’état excité des nanostructures (ES) constitue une solution prometteuse pour améliorer les performances dynamiques, en accroissant notamment la bande passante de modulation et en réduisant le facteur α d’environ 40%. Les techniques d’injection optique sont également intéressantes pour régénérer les performances dynamiques des lasers. Le couplage phase-amplitude et le gain optique y sont substantiellement modifiés via le contrôle de l’amplitude et du désaccord en fréquence du faisceau injecté. Dans ce cadre, ce travail propose une nouvelle technique dérivée de la méthode Hakki-Paoli, permettant de mesurer, sous injection optique, le facteur α à la fois en dessous et au-dessus du seuil. Les lasers à cascade quantique (QCL) sont basés sur des transitions électroniques inter-sous-bandes dans des hétérostructures à puits quantiques. Ces lasers présentent une bande passante (AM) relativement de quelques dizaines de GHz et sans résonance ce qui est prometteur pour les transmissions en espace libre. De manière surprenante, les calculs montrent que les QCL présentent une largeur de bande FM extrêmement large de l’ordre quelques dizaines de THz, environ trois ordres de grandeur supérieure à la largeur de bande AM. L’injection optique dans ces lasers présente les mêmes avantages que ceux procurés dans les lasers à transitions interbandes. Des désaccords positifs ou négatifs en fréquence augmentent notamment la largeur de la bande passante. / High performance semiconductor lasers are strongly demanded in the rapidly increasing optical communication networks. Low dimensional nanostructure lasers are expected to be substitutes of their quantum well (Qwell) counterparts in the next-generation of energy-saving and high-bandwidth telecommunication optical links. Many efforts have been devoted during the past years to achieve nanostructure lasers with broad modulation bandwidth, low frequency chirp, and reduced linewidth enhancement factor. Particularly, 1.55-μm InP-based quantum dash (Qdash)/dot (Qdot) lasers are preferable for long-haul transmissions in contrast to the 1.3-μm laser sources. In this dissertation, we investigate the dynamic characteristics of InPbased nanostructure semiconductor lasers operating under direct current modulation, including the amplitude (AM) and frequency (FM) modulation responses, the linewidth enhancement factor (also known as α-factor), as well as large-signal modulation responses. Using a semi-analytical analysis of the rate equation model, it is found that the modulation bandwidth of the quantum dot laser is strongly limited by the finite carrier capture and relaxation rates. In order to study the α- factor and chirp properties of the quantum dot laser, we develop an improved rate equation model, which takes into account the contribution of carrier populations in off-resonant states to the refractive index change. It is demonstrated that the α-factor of quantum dot lasers is strongly dependent on the pump current as well as the modulation frequency, in comparison to the case of Qwell lasers. The α-factor remains constant at low modulation frequencies (<0.1 GHz) and higher than the value derived at high modulation frequencies (beyond several GHz) from the FM/AM technique. These unique features are mostly attributed to the carrier populations in off-resonant states. Further simulations show that the α-factor can be reduced by enlarging the energy separation between the resonant ground state (GS) and off-resonant states. Lasing from the excited state (ES) can be a promising alternative to enhance the laser’s dynamic performance. The laser exhibits a broader modulation response and the α-factor can be reduced by as much as 40%. The optical injection technique is attractive to improve the laser’s dynamical performance, including bandwidth enhancement and chirp reduction. These are demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally. The phase-amplitude coupling property is altered as well in comparison with the free-running laser and the optical gain depends on the injection strength and the frequency detuning. This work proposes a new method derived from the Hakki-Paoli method, enabling to measure the α-factor of semiconductor lasers under optical injection both below and above threshold. In addition, it is demonstrated theoretically that the α-factor in nanostructure lasers exhibits a threshold discontinuity, which is mainly attributed to the unclamped carrier populations in the off-resonant states. It is a fundamental limitation, preventing the reduction of the α-factor towards zero. Quantum cascade (QC) lasers rely on intersubband electronic transitions in multi-quantum well heterostructures. QC lasers show flat broadband AM response (tens of GHz) without resonance, which constitutes promising features for free-space communications. Surprisingly, calculations show that the QC laser exhibits an ultrabroad FM bandwidth on the order of tens of THz, about three orders of magnitude larger than the AM bandwidth. Optically injection-locked QC lasers also exhibit specific characteristics by comparison to interband semiconductor lasers. Both positive and negative frequency detunings enhance the modulation bandwidth.