Ultra-low jitter optical pulse source using soliton-effect compression

We present electronically tuneable ultrastable optical clock pulses with repetition rates of 2 GHz and higher, using soliton compression through single mode fibre to compress the output from a Mach-Zehnder amplitude modulator. Pulses of duration 10-15 ps and stability < 167 fs (/spl Delta/f = 100 Hz-10 MHz) have been demonstrated.