Integrated optical Ti:Er:LiNbO/sub 3/ soliton source

Efficient diode-pumped and harmonically mode-locked operation of a fully packaged Ti:Er:LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguide laser at 1562- (TE) and 1575-nm (TM) wavelength has been demonstrated. The mode-locked pulses have been characterized in terms of time-bandwidth product, fine tuning, and stability. Noise suppression of 42 dB at the relaxation oscillation frequency has been achieved by feedback-controlled pumping. An external amplitude modulator has been used for encoding of the mode-locked pulse train with different bit sequences. Bit error rates of 10/sup -10/ for a 1-0-1-0-bit sequence has been observed for more than half an hour.