Femtosecond Hybrid Mode-Locked Semiconductor-Laser And Amplifier Dynamics

    Authors

    P. J. Delfyett; A. Dienes; J. P. Heritage; M. Y. Hong;Y. H. Chang

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Appl. Phys. B-Lasers Opt.

    Keywords

    PICOSECOND PULSE GENERATION; INGAASP OPTICAL AMPLIFIERS; SELF-PHASE; MODULATION; SUBPICOSECOND PULSES; 2-PHOTON ABSORPTION; GAIN SATURATION; ALGAAS; DIODE; LOCKING; BAND; Optics; Physics, Applied

    Abstract

    We describe the generation of femtosecond high power optical pulses using hybrid passive-active mode-locking techniques. Angle stripe geometry GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor laser amplifiers are employed in an external cavity including prisms and a stagger-tuned quantum-well saturable absorber. An identical amplifier also serves as an optical power amplifier in a stretched pulse amplification and recompression sequence. After amplification and pulse compression this laser system produces 200 fs, 160 W peak power pulses. We discuss and extend our theory, and supporting phenomenological models, of picosecond and subpicosecond optical pulse amplification in semiconductor laser amplifiers which has been successful in calculating measured spectra and time-resolved dynamics in our amplifiers. We have refined the theory to include a phenomenological model of spectral hole-burning for finite intraband thermalization time. Our calculations are consistent with an intraband time of approximately 60 fs. This theory of large signal subpicosecond pulse amplification will be an essential tool for understanding the mode-locking dynamics of semiconductor lasers and for analysis of high speed multiple wave-length optical signal processing and transmission devices and systems based on semiconductor laser amplifiers.

    Journal Title

    Applied Physics B-Lasers and Optics

    Volume

    58

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-1994

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    183

    Last Page

    195

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:A1994NB24600004

    ISSN

    0946-2171

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