Ultrashort pulse laser diodes

Optoelectronics Group, Research Division: Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
email Charles.Ironside@glasgow.ac.uk

March 2012

Introduction

The optoelectronics group at the university of Glasgow has been working on high speed laser diodes for over 20 years. When modelocked, laser diodes are highly compact, efficient and robust sources of  a train of ultrashort (picosecond and less)  pulses of light with repetition rates up to 2 THz.

Highlights of the group's work includes:-

• Harmonic modelocking for very high repetition rate lasers upto 2.1 THz
  
• Multiple colliding pulse harmonic modelocking
• Record peak powers from an ultrashort pulse laser diode
• A detailed understanding of the spectral dynamics and the power limiting mechanisms in modelocked laser diodes including full charaterisation of the time and spectral dynamics of ultrashort pulse from a modelock laser diode
  
• Highly stable modelocking of a laser diode using an optoelectronic oscillator configuration
  
• Open source software for modelling laser diodes
  

Recent Grants

1. "High Power, High Frequency Mode-locked Semiconductor Lasers", A C Bryce,  C. N. Ironside, R. M. De La Rue,  J. M. Arnold, D. C. Hutchings,  J. H. Marsh, A. Kelly,  Sorel, value 2,475,207GBP Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 01/09/07-29/02/12 http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/E065112/1 Publications associated with this grant can be found here
   

Presentations

Recent presentations on modelocked laser diodes from the optoelectronic group include:-

• Intra-cavity dispersion control in passively modelocked semiconductor laser
• NonAbsorbing Mirrors in mode locked lasers
• Sub-picosecond 9.8W peak power passively mode-locked quantum well GaAs/AlGaAs lasers
• Passive modelocking in quantum well lasers
  

Recent PhD theses on modelocked laser diodes from the optoelectronic group include:-

• Stolarz, Piotr Michal (2012) Development of a phase-sensitive pulse measurement technique for semiconductor mode-locked lasers, PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.
  
• Tandoi, Giuseppe (2011) Monolithic high power mode locked GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well lasers. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.
• Yanson, Dan Andreyevitch (2004) Generation of terahertz-modulated optical signals using AlGaAs/GaAs laser diodes. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Industrial Partners

Compound Semiconductor Technologies Global Ltd. CST , Intense

People

Academic Staff:
John Arnold, Catrina Bryce, Charlie Ironside, Tony Kelly, John Marsh, Marc Sorel,