Abstract
A major obstacle to the realization of long distance soliton based transmission systems is the need for a reliable, stable source of transform limited pulses at 1.55 μm, with relatively long pulsewidths, at repetition rates of 2.5 - 5 GHz [1]. External cavity lasers utilizing air cavities require the alignment of bulk optics, together with a diffraction grating and étalon for wavelength and bandwidth control. Integrated structures provide an attractive alternative [2,3], with monolithic mode-locked lasers [4-6] providing short pulses with a compact, reliable device. However, monolithic devices are constrained by their physical length to relatively high repetition frequencies, and presently do not have the bandwidth control necessary to produce longer pulses that are transform limited. We describe for the first time a hybrid soliton pulse source (HSPS) combining a mode-locked semiconductor laser with a fiber external cavity incorporating an integrated Bragg reflector. The Bragg reflector provides excellent control of the operating wavelength and bandwidth, which are crucial parameters for a soliton pulse source.
© 1992 Optical Society of America
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