Monolithic passive mode-locking in single contact tapered lasers

We report the monolithic passive mode-locking of a single contact tapered laser without a separate saturable absorber section. Pulsewidths of 850 fs have been achieved at a repetition rate of 116 GHz, with average powers of about 8 mW. The drive current range over which mode-locking is observed is enhanced compared with passive mode-locking in multisection lasers. The physical mechanisms believed to be responsible for the mode-locked operation arise directly from the nature of the taper itself. Due to the single contact electrical driving conditions, this device is suitable for obtaining mode-locked pulses in a very simple manner and, unlike multisection lasers, can be easily mounted p-side down for efficient heat-sinking for CW mode-locked operation.