Dual wavelength, actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser

Summary form only given. Optical sources capable of generating pulses at multiple wavelengths are important components for high-capacity systems seeking to exploit combined WDM/TDM access techniques. In particular, we report a 2.6 GHz actively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser (EDFL) that generates pulses /spl ap/70 ps (FWHM) long at 1544.1 nm and 1545.7 nm and operates at room temperature. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a multiwavelength mode-locked EDFL having so close wavelength spacing and operating without the need for careful gain equalization techniques or cooling the EDF to make the gain medium inhomogeneously broadened.