Abstract

Passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers at high tens of GHz have drawn wide attentions because of their potential for applications in communication and microwave systems. In this work, we studied the turn-on transient of passively mode-locked QW lasers by observing the time evolution of mode-locked pulse trains. The results are important both in. applications involving, for example, pulsed radar systems, and also in obtaining a fundamental understanding of the modelocking process in these lasers. We have developed a theoretical treatment of the mode-locking transient based on competition between different supermodes, analogous to that of competition between longitudinal modes in a conventional laser.¹

© 1993 Optical Society of America