Multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor lasers for photonic access network applications

High performance, inexpensive light sources are needed for the advancement of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) photonic access networks. In this paper, the unique features of multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor lasers are demonstrated with an emphasis on possible integration into access networks. An evaluation of multiwavelength passive, active, and hybrid modelocking reveals that hybrid modelocking is optimum for the suppression of mode partition noise as well as coherence tailoring in multiwavelength lasers. Low-distortion propagation of 10 channeltimes5 GHz multiwavelength pulses through multimode fiber is achieved. Intracavity gain flattening enables the simultaneous generation of 6 GHz pulse trains into 168 parallel wavelength channels for a 1 THz aggregate pulse rate from a single laser source. This work conveys the potential for semiconductor laser modelocking to produce multiple telecommunications wavelengths for data transmission and auxiliary functions in photonic networking