Passively mode-locked monolithic two-section gain-guided tapered quan-tum-dot lasers: I. Ultrashort and stable pulse generation

Passively mode-locked two-section quantum-dot monolithic semiconductor lasers are promising optical pulse sources for nonlinear medical imaging and communication applications. Their advantages are their compactness, ease of operation and high efficiency compared to solid state lasers. Quantum-dots (QD) incorporated as the active medium in a diode laser offer peculiar advantages like broad gain bandwidth and fast recovery time of the QD absorber being advantageous for mode-locking operation and generation of ultrashort pulses. Implemented as an index guided tapered structure high pulse peak power of 2.25W with a pulse width of 360 fs can be generated. [1] Recently, a fully gain guided two-section tapered laser has been demonstrated with a peak power of 3.6 W and a pulse width of 3.2 ps with good beam quality. [2]