Repetition Frequency Stabilisation of Passively Mode-Locked Semiconductor Lasers

R. J. Helkey, University of California - Santa Barbara
Dennis J. Derickson, University of California - Santa Barbara
A. Mar, University of California - Santa Barbara
J. G. Wasserbauer, University of California - Santa Barbara
J. E. Bowers, University of California - Santa Barbara
R. L. Thornton, University of California - Santa Barbara

Article comments

This paper is a postprint of a paper submitted to and accepted for publication in Electronics Letters and is subject to Institution of Engineering and Technology Copyright. The copy of record is available at the IET Digital Library. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/el:19921229.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Dennis Derickson was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

Abstract

The repetition frequency of an external cavity mode-locked GaAs semiconductor diode laser has been stabilized by voltage controlled electrical feedback. The phase noise has been reduced by 40dB at 1 kHz offset from the carrier and timing jitter reduced from more than 30ps to 4ps. This technique can be used to stabilize millimetre-wave mode-locked lasers.