Abstract
We describe a method for pulse-repetition-frequency tuning of mode-locked laser diodes (MLLDs) monolithically integrated with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). The pulse-repetition frequency, i.e., the cavity-roundtrip time, is tuned through loss-induced change in the effective length of the DBR. The frequency-tuning range as large as the chip-to-chip frequency deviation caused by cavity-length fabrication variation of 10 μm has been confirmed experimentally, and the MLLDs operate at SDH (synchronous digital hierarchy) frequencies of 9.953, 19.906 and 39.813 GHz. Synchronization with an external system-clock through the hybrid mode-locking operation reduces the timing jitter of the optical pulses to less than 0.3 ps. As an optical pulse source for optical communication, error-free 20-Gbps transmission over 3000 km has been demonstrated, confirming that the MLLD properties satisfy the requirements for use in real systems. The novel application of MLLDs to all-optical clock extraction, one of the essential functions required in all-optical signal processing, has been demonstrated at the 40-GHz SDH frequency.
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Ogura, I., Kurita, H., Sasaki, T. et al. Precise operation-frequency control of monolithic mode-locked laser diodes for high-speed optical communication and all-optical signal processing. Optical and Quantum Electronics 33, 709–725 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017511214111
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017511214111