Free space optical wireless communications using directly modulated two-electrode high brightness tapered laser diode

A two-electrode tapered laser uses a separate excitation to achieve high output modulation depth with a small input current swing that can be provided with existing standard optical communication components, making it a novel source for optical wireless communications. Presented is a 1.25 Gbit/s free-space optical wireless communication system over a distance of 60 m, with a high power and high modulation efficiency two-electrode tapered laser. The system exhibits a 6.5 dB power penalty.