Title :
Surface-normal saturable absorber intensity modulator
Author :
Vainionpää, A. ; Guina, M. ; Härkönen, A. ; Orsila, L. ; Lyytikäinen, J. ; Pessa, M. ; Okhotnikov, O.G.
Author_Institution :
Optoelectronics Res. Centre, Tampere Univ. of Technol., Finland
Abstract :
We present a surface-normal semiconductor intensity modulator based on optically pumped saturable absorber mirror. The modulation section consists of quantum wells placed within a Fabry-Perot cavity. A laser integrated monolithically within the modulator structure generates the control beam used to pump the absorber. Since the modulation section and the in-plane laser share the same medium, an efficient coupling between the control beam and the signal beam is achieved. The modulator provides an efficient light modulation mechanism that is sufficient to actively mode-lock an Er-doped fiber laser.
Keywords :
Fabry-Perot resonators; fibre lasers; integrated optics; intensity modulation; laser mirrors; laser mode locking; optical modulation; optical pumping; optical saturable absorption; quantum well devices; semiconductor quantum wells; Er-doped fiber laser; Fabry-Perot cavity; InGaAsP; InGaAsP quantum-wells; active mode-locking; control beam; efficient coupling; efficient light modulation mechanism; in-plane laser; modulation section; monolithically integrated laser; optically pumped saturable absorber mirror; quantum wells; semiconductor intensity modulator; signal beam; surface-normal saturable absorber intensity modulator; Intensity modulation; Laser beams; Laser excitation; Mirrors; Optical control; Optical modulation; Optical pumping; Pump lasers; Quantum well lasers; Semiconductor lasers;
Conference_Titel :
Indium Phosphide and Related Materials, 2003. International Conference on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7704-4
DOI :
10.1109/ICIPRM.2003.1205387
