Ultrashort, high-power pulse generation from a master oscillator power amplifier based on external cavity mode locking of a quantum-dot two-section diode laser

Abstract

We investigate an external cavity curved two-section mode-locked diode laser system based on quantum-dot (QD) gain media near 1.3μm. Pulses are generated from the external laser cavity at a 5-GHz repetition rate and amplified using a multilayer quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier. The pulses are compressed with a dual-grating dispersion compensator. The shortest, near transform-limited pulses are obtained when the mode-locked pulses are positive (up) chirped. The compressed pulses are 1.2ps in duration, with a pulse energy of 1.46pJ, implying a peak power of 1.22W.