Generation of <3 ps optical pulses by fibre compression of gain-switched InGaAsP DFB laser diode pulses

Abstract

Generation of <3 ps full width at half maximum (FWHM) 1.3 μm pulses by compressing the chirped output of a gain-switched distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) with a fibre dispersive delay line is reported. Diode laser requirements for minimum pulse width and maximum pulse energy, as well as suppression of ‘wings’ on the optical pulse, are discussed.