Picosecond pulse generation from a 1.3 micron distributed feedback laser diode using soliton-effect compression

A experimental demonstration of the soliton-effect pulse compression with a 1.3-microns distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser, a compression fiber, two traveling-wave optical amplifiers, and a soliton-effect compression fiber is presented. The experimental configuration and the details of the pulse generation from a gain-switched 1.3-microns DFB laser diode are described. Results of temporal compression using a fiber of normal dispersion are presented where reduction of the pulsewidth to 2.45 ps is realized. The pulse amplification characteristics of a two-stage traveling-wave semiconductor laser amplifier are discussed with emphasis on the observed temporal broadening and spectral narrowing. After a brief description of the soliton-effect compression in an optical fiber, details of the experimental realization are given. (I.E.)