Abstract

A traveling-wave laser amplifier is a candidate for addressing key issues in very high speed TDMA network applications. Amplification can compensate distribution splitting losses as well as enable direct or indirect threshold detection. Using a cw temperature tuned laser diode, measurements are reported of the gain and the coupling efficiency both with lenses and lensed fibers. Wavelength effects are noted and noise contribution due to super fliorescence is examined. For short pulse application the source laser is replaced by a 1.32-µm mode-locked Nd-YAG in conjunction with a grating pair pulse compressor to yield a pulse train with a repetition rate of 100 MHz and widths of about 1.5 ps. The temporal effects on line-width through the TWLA are measured with a background free autocorrelator. Pulsed gain and gain saturation measurements are reported.

© 1990 Optical Society of America