Generation of subpicosecond optical pulses by mode-locking semiconductor lasers with millimeter-wave sources

Subpicosecond transform-limited optical pulses are generated from monolithic colliding pulse mode-locked multiple quantum well lasers at 1.5- mu m wavelength. The 0.95-ps optical pulses are synchronized with a millimeter-wave oscillator up to 40 GHz and have a modulation depth greater than 95%. Using a passive mode-locking technique, 610-femtosecond optical pulses are also generated at a repetition rate as high as 350 GHz without any synchronization sources. This is the highest pulse repetition rate ever reported for semiconductor optoelectronic sources.<
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