Title :
Investigations of Repetition Rate Stability of a Mode-Locked Quantum Dot Semiconductor Laser in an Auxiliary Optical Fiber Cavity
Author :
Breuer, Stefan ; Elsässer, Wolfgang ; McInerney, John G. ; Yvind, Kresten ; Pozo, Jose ; Bente, Erwin A J M ; Yousefi, Mirvais ; Villafranca, Asier ; Vogiatzis, Nikos ; Rorison, Judy
Author_Institution :
Inst. of Appl. Phys., Tech. Univ. Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
Abstract :
We have investigated experimentally the pulse train (mode beating) stability of a monolithic mode-locked multi-section quantum-dot laser with an added passive auxiliary optical fiber cavity. Addition of the weakly coupled (¿ -24 dB) cavity reduces the current-induced shift d¿/dI of the principal peak in the RF spectrum (the effective pulse repetition frequency) by more than an order of magnitude, from -39.5 to -2.3 kHz/mA. The rms timing jitter of the pulse train is simultaneously reduced from 1.4 to 0.9 ps.
Keywords :
laser mode locking; light absorption; quantum dot lasers; RF spectrum; laser absorbers; laser resonators; laser stability; mode beating stability; mode-locked quantum dot semiconductor laser; monolithic mode-locked multi-section quantum-dot laser; passive auxiliary optical fiber cavity; pulse repetition frequency; pulse train stability; repetition rate stability; Fiber lasers; Laser feedback; Laser mode locking; Laser stability; Optical feedback; Optical fibers; Optical pulses; Quantum dot lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Timing jitter; Laser absorbers; laser resonators; laser stability; semiconductor lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JQE.2009.2033255