MODELS FOR SELF-LIMITED ADDITIVE-PULSE MODE-LOCKING

We analyze Self-Limited Additive Pulse Mode-locked (SLAPM) lasers. SLA PM is APM in which the effective fast saturable absorption rolls over to become fast saturable gain for the pulse peaks, providing an import ant stabilizing mechanism. The pulses in a SLAPM laser tend to look Ga ussian at the top but maintain exponential wings and have time-bandwid th products larger than that of a sech(2)-shaped pulse. We compare a s imple analytic theory with two discrete computer simulations of SLAPM lasers. We show that despite large nonlinear phase shifts per pass in the fiber (close to pi) and the lumped nature of the elements in the l aser, the analytic model is applicable. Both the simulated pulse param eters and shapes show good agreement with the theory.