NONLINEAR CHIRP COMPENSATION IN HIGH-POWER BROAD-SPECTRUM PULSES FROMSINGLE-STRIPE MODE-LOCKED LASER-DIODES

We report on the generation of ultra-short high-energy pulses from ext ended-cavity mode-locked laser diodes by using single-stripe AlGaAs la ser devices of long cavity length (1 and 2 mm). The pulse energy is sh own to increase with the laser diode length while the spectral width o f emitted pulses is decreased in the same time. Record pulse energies of approximate to 50 pJ are obtained from 2 mm long lasers and super-b road mode-locked spectra of approximate to 20 mn are achieved with 1 m m long lasers. Strongly nonlinear chirps are always observed in the ca se of mode-locked pulses whose spectral width exceeds 10 mn. After qua dratic chirp compensation, 160 fs pulses are obtained with peak power larger than 100 W. These performances are believed to be the best ever reported for mode-locked single-stripe laser diodes without external amplification.