We introduce a new low-loss fast intracavity semiconductor Fabry-Perot saturable absorber operated at anti-resonance both to start and sustain stable mode locking of a cw-pumped Nd:YLF laser. We achieved a 3.3-ps pulse duration at a 220-MHz repetition rate. The average output power was 700 mW with 2 W of cw pump power from a Ti:sapphire laser. At pump powers of less than 1.6 W the laser self-Q switches and produces 4-ps pulses within a 1.4-micros Q-switched pulse at an approximately 150-kHz repetition rate determined by the relaxation oscillation of the Nd:YLF laser. Both modes of operation are stable. In terms of coupled-cavity mode locking, the intra-cavity antiresonant Fabry-Perot saturable absorber corresponds to monolithic resonant passive mode locking.

https://www.ulp.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/phys/quantum-electronics/ultrafast-laser-physics-dam/research/Overview2005/19.pdf

Solid-state low-loss intracavity saturable absorber for Nd:YLF lasers : an antiresonant semiconductor Fabry-Perot saturable absorber

The fabrication and basic characteristics of a InGaAs/InGaAsP multi-quantum-well (MQW) electroabsorption modulator with a novel structure integrated with a distributed-feedback (DFB) laser are presented. A fundamental study was performed on the applicability of the InGaAs/InGaAsP MQW structure to an electroabsorption-type modulator. Efficient attenuation small hole pileup and small chirp characteristics of a discrete modulator based on this MQW structure were demonstrated experimentally. A study of the controllability of in-plane band-gap energy by the use of selective-area metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was also demonstrated. The modulator was monolithically integrated with a MQW DFB laser of the same material. Using a low-capacitance semi-insulating buried heterostructure, over 14 GHz modulation under high-light-output operations up to +10 dBm was achieved. Modulation at 10 Gb/s with a modulation voltage swing of only 1 V/sub pp/ demonstrates the potential value of this system for 1.55- mu m lightwave communications. >

InGaAs/InGaAsP MQW electroabsorption modulator integrated with a DFB laser fabricated by band-gap energy control selective area MOCVD

Because the electroabsorption effect in semiconductor multiple quantum well material is approximately 50 times larger than in bulk semiconductors, significant interest has been generated in the use of MQW's in optical modulators Small high-speed devices have been made which show promise for external modulators in optical transmission systems, as well as for encoding and processing components in optical interconnect and signal processing systems The fact that these modulators are made from III-V semiconductors had led to interest in integration of these components with other active optoelectronic components Although most devices have operated with light of a wavelength of 085 mu m, recently much progress has been made in applying this technology to devices operating near 155 mu m The author reviews the work of the last few years in this field and indicates some future directions >

Multiple quantum well (MQW) waveguide modulators

The current status of semiconductor lasers used in coherent optical fiber communications is reviewed for nonexperts in the field. The issues of spectral purity, tuning, modulation, and advanced fabrication methods for photonic integration are discussed, with examples drawn from current experimental devices. >

Semiconductor lasers for coherent optical fiber communications

We show experimentally the trapping of orthogonally polarized solitons in birefringent optical fibers with polarization dispersions as high as 90 psec/km. Solitons along two axes of a fiber compensate for the polarization dispersion by shifting their frequencies, and we observe frequency splitting up to 1.03 THz for a polarization dispersion of 80 psec/km. For a 20-m fiber the energy required to compensate for the polarization dispersion is ~84 pJ, and for a 76-m fiber the energy required reduces to ~64 pJ.

Soliton trapping in birefringent optical fibers

An optical electroabsorption waveguide modulator is described based on the quantum‐confined Stark effect in an InGaAs/InP multiple quantum well waveguide. The optical modulator has a high on/off ratio (47:1) with very low insertion loss (2.9 dB) and a 3‐dB modulation bandwidth of 3.0 GHz at 0.1 mW optical input power.

Low‐loss InGaAs/InP multiple quantum well optical electroabsorption waveguide modulator

Using multiple quantum well (MQW) saturable absorbers, we passively mode locked a NaCl color center laser to produce transform‐limited, pedestal‐free pulses with τ as short as 275 fs and peak power as high as 3.7 kW. Because of exciton ionization with a 200±30 fs time constant, the MQW shows a fast absorption recovery that is comparable to our pulse widths. This fast component plays a major role in pulse shaping and may limit the pulse width. We also show that the wavelength for the short pulses can be tuned from 1.59 to 1.7 μm by choosing MQWs with different band gaps.

I. Bar-Joseph

Papers

Low‐loss InGaAs/InP multiple quantum well optical electroabsorption waveguide modulator

Multiple quantum well passive mode-locking of a NaCl color center laser

Multiple quantum well passive mode locking of a NaCl color center laser