Solus Technologies Limited

M Squared Lasers Limited

Lukasz Kornaszewski

Graeme Peter Alexander Malcolm

Craig James Hamilton

Graeme Peter Malcolm

Gareth Thomas Maker

A method and apparatus for passively synchronising the repetition rate of two or more mode-locked lasers is described. The method and apparatus involve forming a first synchronising optical field () by separating a portion of an output field of a first mode-locked laser () and thereafter redirecting this synchronising optical field to form a driving signal for a second mode-locked laser (). Employing these techniques results in systems with timing jitter of less than 1 fs. The method is independent of the wavelength and polarisation at which the mode-locked lasers operate and so is not limited to use with any particular type of mode-locked laser. Since the technique is passive it does not require the employment of electronics, variable time delay paths or additional non-linear optical crystals. Therefore, the method and apparatus are significantly less complex than those known in the art and are not power limited by additional non-linear optical processes. Part of the output () of the first mode-locked laser () is redirected via a beam splitter () and beam steering mirrors () and a half-wave plate () to a polariser () in the beam line of the second mode-locked laser (). The seeding and synchronising signal from the first mode-locked laser () may be perpendicularly polarized with respect to the polarization of the second mode-locked laser () and may have a different wavelength.

Method and apparatus for repetition rate synchronisation of mode-locked lasers

The present invention describes a self mode locking laser and a method for self mode locking a laser. The laser () comprises a resonator terminated by first () and second () mirrors and folded by a third mirror (). The third mirror comprises a single distributed Bragg reflector () upon which is mounted a multilayer semiconductor gain medium () and which includes at least one quantum well layer and an optical Kerr lensing layer (). Self mode locking may be achieved by configuring the laser resonator such that the lensing effect of the Kerr lensing layer acts to reduce an astigmatism deliberately introduced to the cavity mode. The self mode locking of the laser may be further enhanced by selecting the length of the resonator such that a round trip time of a cavity mode is matched with an upper-state lifetime of one or more semiconductor carriers located within the gain medium.

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Glasgow, United Kingdom

Lukasz Kornaszewski