A GHz regeneratively synchronized passively mode-locked fiber laser for spectrum generation in the 1.5-/spl mu/m region

Summary form only given. As the number of channels increases in a wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) system, spectrum slicing becomes attractive, especially for Gbit systems where external modulators are needed. Thus, a GHz rep-rate broadband source can be important for WDM systems. Passive mode-locking can generate a broad spectrum but usually has low rep-rate. Active modelocking provides GHz rep-rate and can be synchronized to external sources, but only produce picosecond pulses. Generating broad bandwidth with an actively modelocked laser is more difficult, either directly or with post processing than with passive modelocked lasers. Adding a modulator in a passively mode-locked laser has the potential to produce shorter pulses at GHz rep-rate. In the paper we show that this is indeed the case.