Abstract
Generation of subpicosecond optical pulses at or >100 GHz using monolithic mode-locked semiconductor lasers are of great interest recently because of their use in ultra high speed optical communication/computing and millimeter-wave generations. A necessary condition for passive mode-locking is that the saturable absorber cross section is larger than the gain cross section.1 This condition can be satisfied in monolithic QW lasers by separately biasing the absorber section at a lower injection level than that of the gain section. However, the same condition is also a necessary condition for self-pulsation,2 low frequency intensity oscillations around 1 GHz. Indeed, it was concluded that it is difficult to generate very short pulses without the simultaneous occurrence of a self-pulsation envelope modulating the pulse train in tandem-contact mode-locked lasers.3 High reflection facet coating was needed to separate the mode-locking regime from the self-pulsation regime.4
© 1992 Optical Society of America
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