Eajm Erwin Bente

Observation of Q-switching and mode-locking in two-section InAs/InP (100) quantum dot lasers around 1.55 µm

First observation of passive mode-locking in two-section quantum-dot lasers operating at wavelengths around 1.55 mum is reported. Pulse generation at 4.6 GHz from a 9 mm long device is verified by background-free autocorrelation, RF-spectra and real-time oscilloscope traces. The output pulses are stretched in time and heavily up-chirped with a value of 20 ps/nm, contrary to what is normally observed in passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers. The complete output spectrum is shown to be coherent over 10 nm. From a 7 mm long device Q-switching is observed over a large operating regime. The lasers have been realized using a fabrication technology that is compatible with further photonic integration. This makes the laser a promising candidate for e.g. a mode-comb generator in a complex photonic chip.

High-average-power (>20-W) Nd:YVO 4 lasers mode locked by strain-compensated saturable Bragg reflectors

Strain-compensated double InGaAs quantum-well saturable Bragg reflectors (SBR’s) with high damage thresholds have been developed for use as mode-locking elements in high-average-power neodymium lasers. Nd:YVO4 lasers have been developed with these new SBR’s, which produce transform-limited pulses of 21-ps duration at 90 MHz and an average power of 20 W in a diffraction-limited output beam. The peak pulse power at an output power of 20 W was 10.6 kW. A comparison of the operating parameters of strained single and strain-compensated double-well SBR’s indicates that the damage threshold increased by a factor of at least 2–3. Long cavity laser variants were investigated to assess the limitations of further power scaling. At a repetition frequency of 36-MHz stable mode-locked pulses with peak pulse powers of 24.4 kW and pulse energies of 0.6 µJ could be generated.

A compact digitally tunable seven-channel ring laser

A seven-channel ring laser was realized by monolithic integration of a compact 4/spl times/4 PHASAR (de)multiplexer with four amplifiers in InP. The PHASAR was fabricated using a double-etch technique, enabling a total size of the ring laser of only 1/spl times/1.5 mm/sup 2/. Light was coupled out via the outer array waveguides. Reflections are minimized by using mode filters and angled facets. Threshold-currents of 70 mA and a sidemode suppression ratio of 40 dB were measured. In principle, a ring laser with N amplifiers can produce 3N-3 different wavelengths.

Design, Fabrication and Characterization of an InP-Based Tunable Integrated Optical Pulse Shaper

In this paper a tunable integrated semiconductor optical pulse shaper is presented. The device consists of a pair of arrayed waveguide gratings with an array of electrooptical phase modulators in between. It has been fabricated in InP-InGaAsP material for operation at wavelengths around 1.55 mum. Multimode inputs to the waveguide gratings are used to flatten their optical passband. We have used a new short-pulse characterization technique to fully characterize pulse shaping by the device, i.e., both the power and the phase profile. A fourfold decrease in pulse ringing was observed for the devices with flattened passbands. Moreover these devices showed a 25% increase in pulse peak power. The possibilities for using the device as a dispersion (pre-) compensator have been investigated. Pulse reconstruction could be obtained for dispersion values of up to 0.2 ps/nm. The fabrication technology of the pulse shaper is compatible with the fabrication of integrated mode-locked lasers, which makes further integration of complete arbitrary pulse generators possible.

Integrated Tunable Quantum-Dot Laser for Optical Coherence Tomography in the 1.7

In this paper, we present the design and characterization of a monolithically integrated tunable laser for optical coherence tomography in medicine. This laser is the first monolithic photonic integrated circuit containing quantum-dot amplifiers, phase modulators, and passive components. We demonstrate electro-optical tuning capabilities over 60 nm between 1685 and 1745 nm, which is the largest tuning range demonstrated for an arrayed waveguide grating controlled tunable laser. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the active-passive integration technology designed for the 1550 nm telecom wavelength region can also be used in the 1600-1800 nm region. The tunable laser has a 0.11 nm effective linewidth and an approximately 0.1 mW output power. Scanning capabilities of the laser are demonstrated in a free space Michelson interferometer setup where the laser is scanned over the 60 nm in 4000 steps with a 500 Hz scan frequency. Switching between two wavelengths within this 60 nm range is demonstrated to be possible within 500 ns.

\mu{\rm m}

We report on an extensive characterization of a 15GHz integrated bulk InGaAsP passively modelocked ring laser at 1530 nm. The laser is modelocked for a wide range of amplifier currents and reverse bias voltages on the saturable absorber. We have measured a timing jitter of 7.1 ps (20 kHz - 80 MHz), which is low for an all-active device using bulk material and due to the ring configuration. Measured output pulses are highly chirped, a FWHM bandwidth is obtained of up to 4.5 nm. Such lasers with high bandwidth pulses and compatible with active-passive integration are of great interest for OCDMA applications.

Wavelength Region

We present a realization and the modeling of a 27-GHz integrated extended cavity ring laser that is passively mode-locked. The mode-locked ring laser is fabricated with active-passive integration. Experimental results show that internal reflections are the major factor affecting operation stability. Continuous-wave, self-pulsating, and in small windows of operation mode-locked regimes have been observed. Similar regimes have been observed in our bidirectional laser model. This model describes the semiconductor amplifier and the saturable absorber using rate equations. Our experimental and theoretical results are compared and discussed.

Characterization of a 15 GHz integrated bulk InGaAsP passively modelocked ring laser at 1.53 μm

A method and measurement results are presented for the determination of the reflectivity of butt-joint active-passive interfaces in a series of extended cavity Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot lasers. The method is based on the analysis of subthreshold laser spectra. The small reflections at the two intracavity active-passive interfaces modify the mode structure of the laser. By fitting the calculated subthreshold mode structure to the recorded data, values of the reflectivities are extracted. An average value of 9.10/sup -5/ has been determined. The value of the reflectivity of those interfaces is relevant for photonic integrated circuits and particularly integrated mode-locked lasers.

Realization and modeling of a 27-GHz integrated passively mode-locked ring laser

Europe is making significant investments in development of generic photonic foundry platform infrastructures for InP-based and Silicon Photonic ICs. Here we present the present status for the InP-based JePPIX platform.

Measurement of reflectivity of butt-joint active-passive interfaces in integrated extended cavity lasers

We present a compact 16-channel digitally tunable laser integrated on InP with the possibility to produce groups of four wavelengths at the same time. The cavity contains two arrays of four semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) with two periodical four-channel intracavity phased arrays (PHASARs) with channel spacings of 100 and 400 GHz. By activating two out of the eight SOAs, 16 different wavelengths can be selected. Light was coupled out of the cavity by waveguides placed in the second focal order of the PHASARs. Reflections from the end facets of the wafer are minimized using mode filters and angled output waveguides.