Mode-Locked InP-Based Laser Diode With a Monolithic Integrated UTC Absorber for Subpicosecond Pulse Generation

Author

Scollo, Riccardo ; Lohe, Hans-Joerg ; Robin, Franck ; Erni, Daniel ; Gini, Emilio ; Jäckel, Heinz

Author_Institution

Inst. of Electron. IfE, Zurich

Volume

45

Issue

4

fYear

2009

fDate

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

322

Lastpage

335

Abstract

Future optical transmission systems and signal processing circuits will require optical pulse sources capable of producing subpicosecond (sub-ps) pulses with low timing jitter at repetition rates of tens of gigahertz. In this paper, we present the theory, design, and measurements of a novel InP-based hybrid mode-locked laser diode (MLLD) structure with an ultrafast monolithically integrated, reverse-biased, uni-traveling-carrier (UTC) absorber. The necessity of an ultrafast absorber to obtain sub-ps pulses is analyzed and explained with our advanced time-domain rate-equation model. The realized MLLD demonstrated clean sub-ps pulses of 900 fs at 42-GHz repetition rate and the potential in an optimized device to reach values around 600 fs.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; indium compounds; integrated optoelectronics; laser mode locking; optical design techniques; optical pulse generation; optical transmitters; semiconductor lasers; timing jitter; InP; MLLD; integrated photonic devices; low-timing jitter; mode-locked laser diode; monolithic integrated UTC absorber; optical pulse source; optical transmission system; signal processing circuit; subpicosecond pulse generation; time 900 fs; time-domain rate-equation model; uni-traveling-carrier absorber; Diode lasers; Integrated circuit measurements; Optical design; Optical pulse generation; Optical pulses; Optical signal processing; Pulse circuits; Pulse generation; Timing jitter; Ultrafast optics; Integrated photonic devices; mode-locked laser diodes (MLLDs); uni-traveling-carrier (UTC) absorber;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2009.2013090

Filename

4799259