Optoelectronic mixing using a short cavity distributed Bragg reflector laser

We describe optoelectronic mixing in a short cavity distributed Bragg reflector laser operating near 1550 nm. Up and down conversion are demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally for three drive configurations. Absolute efficiencies as well as their frequency dependencies are described and the advantage of direct modulation of the photon field (by loss modulation) is clearly seen. Down conversion is shown to be less efficient than up conversion but its efficiency decrease with an increasing frequency is slower.