Ultra low noise and supermode suppression in an actively modelocked external-cavity semiconductor diode ring laser

Author

DePriest, C.M. ; Yilmaz, T. ; Etamad, S. ; Braun, A. ; Abeles, J. ; Delfyett, P.J., Jr.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Opt., CREOL, Orlando, FL, USA

fYear

2002

fDate

17-22 Mar 2002

Firstpage

589

Lastpage

590

Abstract

Using active harmonic modelocking at 10 GHz with extensive polarization control in a mirrorless ring geometry, we have achieved what are, to our knowledge, the lowest noise characteristics yet reported for an actively-modelocked external-cavity semiconductor diode laser. Residual RMS jitter as low as 18 fs (10 Hz-10 MHz) and 94 fs (10 Hz-5 GHz) has been measured, as well as RMS amplitude noise as low as 0.05% (10 Hz-10 MHz) and 0.74% (10 Hz-5 GHz). In addition, using a high-finesse fiber-Fabry-Perot intracavity etalon, we have demonstrated nearly complete supermode suppression out to the Nyquist limit, while favorably retaining a low-offset noise knee.

Keywords

Fabry-Perot interferometers; jitter; laser cavity resonators; laser mode locking; laser noise; optical communication equipment; ring lasers; semiconductor lasers; thermal noise; 18 fs; 94 fs; Nyquist limit; actively modelocked external-cavity semiconductor diode ring laser; extensive polarization control; external cavity semiconductor diode laser; high-finesse fiber-Fabry-Perot intracavity etalon; low-offset noise knee; mirrorless ring geometry; noise characteristics; residual RMS jitter; supermode suppression; ultra low noise; Geometrical optics; Laser modes; Laser noise; Optical control; Polarization; Ring lasers; Semiconductor device noise; Semiconductor diodes; Semiconductor lasers; Solid modeling;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibit, 2002. OFC 2002

Print_ISBN

1-55752-701-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/OFC.2002.1036580

Filename

1036580