PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF PASSIVELY MODE-LOCKED DIODE-LASERS

For the first time to our knowledge, asymmetric pulse shapes and the L inear and nonlinear chirp from a passively mode-locked semiconductor l aser are directly measured. For the laser tuned to various center wave lengths, fall-time-to-rise-time ratios of 2.0 to 2.5 are measured. Wit h the laser tuned to the shorter-wavelength side of its tuning range, a significant quadratic chirp of -60 fs/nm(2) is measured, along with a linear chirp of -800 fs/nm. The nonlinear chirp is responsible for t he asymmetrically shaped compressed pulses that produce long-tailed au tocorrelations.