Abstract

Waveguide lasers formed in insulating crystals have considerable potential as sources of ultrashort (1-10 ps) high repetition rate (~10 GHz) pulses for communications systems. Such lasers are simple solid-state devices consisting of a diode pump laser; the waveguide laser chip; and a mode-locker. For simplicity a passive mode-locker integrated onto The laser chip is required. For this purpose we have studied passive mode-lockers based on two waveguide structures: the directional coupler; and nonlinear loop mirror (NOLM) in different host materials.

© 1993 Optical Society of America