Abstract
A multichannel grating cavity (MGC) laser is found to be suitable for multiwavelength ultrashort optical pulse generation using active mode-locking techniques. By using different configurations of the MGC laser, dual wavelength picosecond pulses are successfully produced with good spectral quality, either simultaneously or with a programmable relative delay between the channels. For a channel separation of 2.2 nm, pulses with a duration of 60 ps and a spectral width of 11.6 GHz have been obtained. The experimental results are compared with those from a theoretical analysis of the multiwavelength mode-locking process using a set of modified coupled-cavity rate equations. The minimum achievable pulsewidths generated by the actively mode-locked MGC laser are shown to be limited by the resolution bandwidth of grating used. The dependence of pulsewidth on RF drive frequency detuning is examined and it is found that the ultrashort pulses can be obtained over a wide range of frequency detuning. The interchannel cross-talk originating from gain saturation and carrier depletion is also discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2327-2335 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Lightwave Technology |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 1995 |
Funding
Manuscript received November 21, 1994; revised July 21, 1995. This work was supported in part by the UK Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) and the Royal Society. B. Zhu was supported by the Pao Yu-Kong and Pao Zhao-Long Scholarship Board (in China) and the Overseas Research Student Awards.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics