Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
08:48
Low-cost Custom Fabrication and Mode-locked Operation of an All-normal-dispersion Femtosecond Fiber Laser for Multiphoton Microscopy
Published on: November 22, 2019
An L-band monolithic InAs/InP quantum dot mode-locked laser with femtosecond pulses.
1Institute for Microstructural Sciences, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Zhenguo.Lu@NRC-CNRC.GC.CA
Optics Express
|August 6, 2009
Summary
Researchers created a new indium arsenide/indium phosphide (InAs/InP) quantum dot (QD) material for L-band lasers. This material enabled a passive mode-locked laser with 445 fs pulses and a 46 GHz repetition rate.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Semiconductor physics
- Quantum dot technology
Background:
- Quantum dots (QDs) are crucial for advanced photonic devices.
- Tuning QD emission to the L-band (1565-1625 nm) is essential for specific telecommunication applications.
- Developing efficient gain materials for L-band lasers remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer an InAs/InP quantum dot gain material optimized for the L-band.
- To demonstrate a passive mode-locked laser utilizing this novel QD gain material.
- To investigate the performance characteristics and operational dependencies of the developed laser.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a double cap growth procedure for InAs/InP quantum dots.
- Incorporated a Gallium Phosphide (GaP) sublayer to precisely tune QD emission into the L-band.
- Fabricated and characterized a passive L-band mode-locked laser incorporating the developed QD gain material.
Main Results:
- Achieved a passive L-band mode-locked laser with a pulse duration of 445 femtoseconds (fs) at a repetition rate of 46 gigahertz (GHz).
- The laser exhibited a narrow 3-dB radio frequency (RF) linewidth below 100 kilohertz (KHz).
- Demonstrated a low lasing threshold injection current of 24 mA, an external differential quantum efficiency of 22%, and an average output power of 27 mW.
Conclusions:
- The developed InAs/InP quantum dot gain material, engineered with a double cap and GaP sublayer, is highly effective for L-band applications.
- The fabricated passive mode-locked laser showcases excellent performance metrics, including short pulse duration and high repetition rate.
- Further investigation into the relationship between pulse duration and spectral bandwidth as a function of injection current provides valuable insights for laser optimization.
