Self-mixing interferometry (SMI) is well known as a very effective technology for the measurement of displacement, vibration, velocity, etc. due to its unique advantages. Hence, many achievements have been made in the research of the SMI theory and its application.
Unfortunately, however, few studies on the stability of self-mixing signals (SMSs) can be found. In fact, stable SMSs are not readily obtained because many factors have an effect on their stability. The injection current of the semiconductor laser (SL) in particular has a vital effect on the stability.
Kim Chol Hyon, a section head at the Faculty of Physical Engineering, has investigated the effect of the injection current on the stability of SMSs in SMI theoretically and experimentally while varying the injection current, and consequently found the law of stable injection current.
This law demonstrates that there exist stable injection current points suppressing bifurcations, and their positions depend only on the external cavity length. The law advises driving the SL at an injection current corresponding to a non-bifurcation range in order to acquire clear SMSs favorable for displacement reconstruction.
For further details, please refer to his paper “Regularity of bifurcation in a self-mixing laser diode” in “Applied Optics” (SCI).
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