Ultrashort Pulse, Monolithic Modelocked Lasers for WDM Systems

摘要

A program of research to investigate the use of modelocked lasers as sources for WDM systems is reported. The objective of the program was to demonstrate modelocked lasers with ultrashort pulse widths that contain as many as 16 phase locked longitudinal modes. Analysis was carried to understand the role of self phase modulation on the spectral range of modes that could be phase locked in such a device. The results of the analysis suggest that this fundamental limitation must be addressed by engineering the round trip phase dispersion over a broad spectral range to achieve a broad enough spectral width to successfully fabricate monolithic WDM sources that will compete with current technology. Experimental monolithic passively modelocked colliding pulse modelocked lasers were constructed during the course of the program. Devices with 1.2 psec pulse width operating with a pulse repetition rate of 40 GHZ were demonstrated. These devices had longitudinal mode spectra containing up to 16 phase locked modes but the amplitude variation over the mode spectrum precluded their use as independent WDM spectral sources.