Generation of subpicosecond transform-limited optical pulses for optical fiber communications

Abstract

The generation of transform-limited optical pulses at a 1.5-μm wavelength is very important for high-bit-rate time-division-multiplexed communication systems. A transform-limited optical pulse has a very small frequency chirp and very little amplitude substructures and can propagate a long distance in dispersive media such as fibers. Traditionally, transform-limited pulses have been produced by semiconductor lasers with external cavities.1. Here we report the generation of short optical pulses at a 1.5-μm wavelength by a singlemode-locked multiple-quantum-well laser without an external cavity.