Picosecond pulse generation in narrow stripe mode-locked quantum dot master oscillator power amplifier

This paper reports a monolithically integrated mode-locked narrow stripe QD MOPA operating at 1300nm generating a stable 20GHz pulse train with an average power of 46.4mW and a pulse duration of 8.3ps. © Optical Society of America.

Double-wall carbon nanotubes for wide-band, ultrafast pulse generation.

We demonstrate wide-band ultrafast optical pulse generation at 1, 1.5, and 2 μm using a single-polymer composite saturable absorber based on double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWNTs). The freestanding optical quality polymer composite is prepared from nanotubes dispersed in water with poly(vinyl alcohol) as the host matrix. The composite is then integrated into ytterbium-, erbium-, and thulium-doped fiber laser cavities. Using this single DWNT-polymer composite, we achieve 4.85 ps, 532 fs, and 1.6 ps mode-locked pulses at 1066, 1559, and 1883 nm, respectively, highlighting the potential of DWNTs for wide-band ultrafast photonics.

Chirp limitation on Mach-Zehnder interferometer ultrafast switching employing semiconductor optical amplifiers

We show for the first time that for a given switching pulse width, the maximum switching speed obtainable from a Mach-Zehnder interferometer employing semiconductor optical amplifiers is strongly dependent on the SOA chirp characteristics. © 2005 Optical Society of America.

20GHz colliding pulse mode-locking of ingaas quantum dot lasers

Colliding pulse mode-locking is demonstrated for the first time in quantum-dot lasers. Close to transform limited, 7ps, 20GHz pulses are achieved using an absorber length considerably longer than typically used in similar quantum-well lasers. © 2004 Optical Society of America.

Chirp limitation on Mach-Zehnder interferometer ultrafast switching employing semiconductor optical amplifiers

We show for the first time that for a given switching pulse width, the maximum switching speed obtainable from a Mach-Zehnder interferometer employing semiconductor optical amplifiers is strongly dependent on the SOA chirp characteristics. © 2005 Optical Society of America.

Parametric resonance for vibration energy harvesting with design techniques to passively reduce the initiation threshold amplitude

A vibration energy harvester designed to access parametric resonance can potentially outperform the conventional direct resonant approach in terms of power output achievable given the same drive acceleration. Although linear damping does not limit the resonant growth of parametric resonance, a damping dependent initiation threshold amplitude exists and limits its onset. Design approaches have been explored in this paper to passively overcome this limitation in order to practically realize and exploit the potential advantages. Two distinct design routes have been explored, namely an intrinsically lower threshold through a pendulum-lever configuration and amplification of base excitation fed into the parametric resonator through a cantilever-initial-spring configuration. Experimental results of the parametric resonant harvesters with these additional enabling designs demonstrated an initiation threshold up to an order of magnitude lower than otherwise, while attaining a much higher power peak than direct resonance. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.