Modelocking frequency tunability and timing jitter in an extended cavity mode-locked semiconductor laser

We have demonstrated a wide tuning range (1% of repetition frequency) of mode locked semiconductor lasers with the biasing conditions, and have also identified the optimum mode locking frequency of the laser as the frequency that minimises the rms timing jitter. This tuning range is sufficiently large to fine tune the operating frequency, overcoming typical cleavage errors of 10 /spl mu/m in the required cavity length. We have also reduced the timing jitter by subharmonic optical locking.