Noise and timing jitter in active and hybrid mode-locked semiconductor lasers

Summary form only given. We present a comprehensive model for the noise in active and hybrid mode-locked semiconductor lasers. The model includes the effects of gain dispersion, carrier density and accompanying refractive index fluctuations, dynamic gain and loss saturation, and the laser /spl alpha/-parameter on the amplitude, phase, frequency, and the timing fluctuations of mode-locked laser pulses. Noise contributions from spontaneous emission, photon loss, carrier generation and recombination, and from the jitter in the RF drive are included in the model. The model is completely self-consistent and, to the authors' knowledge, a first detailed presentation of the relative contribution of the various noise sources to the noise of the mode-locked pulses.