Optical generation of amplitude-equalized pulses from a rational harmonic mode-locked fiber laser incorporating an SOA loop modulator

Rational harmonic active and passive mode locking has been demonstrated in an erbium-doped fiber laser using an all-optical approach. Based on the modulation and the self-switching effects of a semiconductor optical amplifier nonlinear loop mirror, hybrid mode locking and pulse-amplitude equalization are simultaneously achieved in the laser. In our setup, amplitude-equalized pulse trains up to about 12 GHz are obtained at 1.55 (mu)m using 3-GHz optical driving pulses.