Gain-Switched DFB Lasers

We present a brief review of the semiconductor gain-switching mechanism, its principles and aspects of some problems to be overcome in order to produce well behaved pulses, i.e. frequency chirp and turn-on jitter. We also describe three experiments on gain-switched DFB lasers - one operating in the second telecommunication window, at 1300 nm, and the other two in the third, at 1550 nm - to generate pulses of duration of around 5 -7 ps. In these demonstrations various techniques have been employed: the use of either a dispersion compensating fibre or a linearly step-chirped fibre grating for pulse compression, and also CW light injection for the reduction of the pulse turn-on delay. The pulses generated in all experiments were suitable for high-speed photonic applications.

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