Optical and Quantum Electronics (2006) 38:495-512 © Springer 2006 40 GHz mode-locked semiconductor lasers: theory, simulations and experiment u w e b a n d e l o w 1, * , m i n d a u g a s r a d z i u n a s 1 , a n d r e i v l a d i m i r o v 1 , b e r n d hü t t l 2 and r o n a l d k a i s e r 2Abstract. We study both theoretically and experimentally typical operation regimes of 40 GHz monolithic mode-locked lasers. The underlying Traveling Wave Equation model reveals quantitative agreement for characteristics of the fundamental mode-locking as pulse width and repetition frequency tuning, as well as qualitative agreement with the experiments for other dynamic regimes. Especially the appearance of stable harmonic mode-locking at 80 GHz has been predicted theoretically and confirmed by measurements. Furthermore, we derive and apply a simplified Delay-Differential-Equation model which guides us to a qualitative analysis of bifurcations responsible for the appearance and the breakup of different mode-locking regimes. Higher harmonics of mode-locking are predicted by this model as well.

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SrS:Ce is an intensively investigated phosphor due to its blue-green electroluminescence, which shows efficient blue emission after filtering. Recently reported devices based on this material have demonstrated a luminous efficiency of 1.6 lm/W. The luminescence properties of SrS:Ce,X (X=Na or Cl) have been studied on powders and thin films. It is shown that a high density of traps in SrS:Ce,X occurs. The interaction of Ce3+ with traps gives rise to a phosphorescence. An energy transfer from Ce3+ to traps is responsible for an observed luminescence quenching in the presence of high electric fields. Moreover, the traps are electrically active and are involved in the electroluminescence process. The observed energy transfer is proposed to be the dominant excitation mechanism of Ce3+ in electroluminescence. It is demonstrated for thin films that the defect density increases with doping; therefore, the luminescence yield is already limited at doping concentrations below the onset of the concentration quenching. Thus, the prepared SrS:Ce,Cl thin films show a lower photoluminescence yield than powders. It is concluded that an undisturbed Ce incorporation into SrS thin films has not been achieved so far, although high electroluminescence efficiencies (1.6 lm/W) have been obtained.

We suggest analytic estimates for the Q-switching instability boundary of the continuous-wave mode-locking regime domain for a ring cavity semiconductor laser. We use a differential delay laser model that allows to assume large gain and loss in the cavity, which is a typical situation for this laser class. The slow saturable absorber approximation is applied to derive a map that describes the transformation of the pulse parameters after a round trip in the cavity. The Q-switching instability boundary is then obtained as a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation curve of this map. We study the dependence of this boundary on laser parameters and compare it with the boundaries obtained by New's stability criterion and by direct numerical analysis of the original delay differential model. Further modification of our approach, based on the hyperbolic secant ansatz, is used to estimate the width and repetition rate of the mode locking pulses.

Pulse trains with only 2 ps in width and low root-mean-square timing jitter of 220 fs are demonstrated from fine tunable monolithic 40-GHz laser integrated circuits on GaInAsP-InP. The repetition rate is tunable within 500 MHz by changing only the gain current and the absorber voltage. Simultaneously, the small pulsewidths are kept constant and the timing jitter remains below 300 fs. The determined time-bandwidth products between 0.37 and 0.5 are close to the transform limit and the fiber coupled optical power is >or=1 mW. The fact that pulsewidth and timing jitter remain small over the whole repetition-rate tuning range constitutes an important step toward economic commercial applications, especially if frequency shifts caused by fabrication tolerances have to be compensated