AN OPTICALLY TRIGGERED OSCILLATOR BASED ON WAVE COUPLING IN A SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL AMPLIFIER

We describe the principles of operation and demonstrate experimentally an optically triggered and controlled oscillator based on wave-coupli ng-induced feedback in a semiconductor optical amplifier. The generate d signal has the combined properties of a laser diode and a parametric oscillator. It has a well-defined frequency relative to that of the p ump beam, which can be controlled by the pump power. The oscillator ma y be the basis for optical phase-locked loops and serve as the optical analog of a microwave voltage-controlled oscillator.