Multichannel dual-mode-based optical pulse source from a single laser diode

Generation of multichannel optical pulse trains by spectral slicing of two adjacent optical modes from a single subharmonically synchronous mode-locked laser diode is demonstrated in this letter. The obtained pulse source exhibits high extinction ratio (> 15 dB), low amplitude modulation (<-24.8 dB) and low timing jitter (< 0.5 ps) over all the channels from 1550 to 1564 nm. The resulting pulse trains can be used for the generation of carrier suppressed return-to-zero data in dense wavelength-division-multiplexed systems and optical generation of millimeter-wave signals required for future multiple channel fiber wireless systems.