Sub-picosecond pulse generation by 40-GHz passively mode-locked quantum-dash 1-mm-long Fabry-Pérot laser diode

Abstract

Optical pulses at a repetition rate of 39.8 GHz have been observed in a dc-biased passively mode-locked quantum-dash Fabry-Pérot laser diode. The pulses generated by this diode are studied in the temporal and spectral domains using a second harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating system. By using a tunable band-pass filter, it is observed that the pulse width decreases as the number of lasing modes selected by the filter increases. Furthermore, by controlling the phase difference of the modes using a 450 m-long single mode fibre, a passive compression of the pulses is obtained. A minimum pulse width of 720 fs has been measured with this type of mode-locked Fabry-Pérot laser.