Abstract
Some key recent achievements in the development of novel saturable absorbers that are based on semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) structures for the passive mode locking of near-infrared lasers are outlined. These are group IV-VI semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) in glass matrices and self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots (group III-V) grown on semiconductor mirrors (QD-SESAMs). The performance of solid-state (Yb(3+), Nd(3+) and Cr(4+)-based), Yb-doped fibre and monolithically integrated semiconductor lasers has been described within the context of ultrashort-pulse generation using these types of QD-based modulators. Particular attention has been paid to the nonlinear parameters of the QD-based saturable absorbers that determine the quality of the mode locking in such laser systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-45 |
| Number of pages | 45 |
| Journal | Progress in Quantum Electronics |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2010 |
Keywords
- emitting semiconductor lasers
- quantum dots
- mode locking
- nonlinear optical properties
- Bragg reflector
- doped glasses
- solid state lasers
- repetition rate
- ultrafast carrier dynamics
- phosphate glass
- CR-forsterite laser
- TI-sapphire laser