Exotic behavior in quantum dot mode-locked lasers: dark pulses and bistability

Published

May 24, 2012

Author(s)

Kevin L. Silverman, Mingming M. Feng, Richard P. Mirin, Steven T. Cundiff

Abstract

Passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers with self-assembled quantum dot active regions can be operated in exotic output modes, stabilized by the complex gain and absorption dynamics inherent in these structures. One such device emits dark pulses - sharp dips on an otherwise stable continuous wave background-in an extended cavity design. We show that a dark pulse train is a solution to the master equation for mode-locked lasers and perform numerical modeling to test the stability of such a solution. A separate, monolithic design displays wavelength bistability and can be electrically switched between these two modes within just a few cavity round trips. This device can be made to switch between two stable wavelengths separated by just 7 nm up to over 40 nm with a contrast ratio of over 40 dB.

Citation

Lecture Notes in Nanoscale Science and Technology

Volume

13

Publisher Info

Springer, New York, NY

Pub Type

Book Chapters

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3570-9_2

Keywords

quantum dots, mode-locking, bistability, dark pulses

Citation

Silverman, K. , Feng, M. , Mirin, R. and Cundiff, S. (2012), Exotic behavior in quantum dot mode-locked lasers: dark pulses and bistability, Lecture Notes in Nanoscale Science and Technology, Springer, New York, NY, [online], https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3570-9_2 (Accessed March 2, 2025)