Short Pulse Generation Using Multisegment Mode-Locked Semiconductor Lasers

Mode-locked semiconductor lasers which incorporate multiple contacting segments are found to give improved performance over single-segment designs. The functions of gain, saturable absorption, gain modulation, repetition rate tuning, wavelength tuning, and electrical pulse generation can be integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The optimization of the performance of multisegment mode-locked lasers in terms of material parameters, waveguiding parameters, electrical parasitics, and segment length is discussed experimentally and theoretically.