Collision-induced pulse shortening in a mode-locked linear-cavity NaCl color-center laser with an InGaAs/InP multiple-quantum-well saturable absorber

Opt Lett. 1991 Aug 1;16(15):1165-7. doi: 10.1364/ol.16.001165.

Abstract

We report collision-induced reduction of pulse widths in a linear-cavity passively mode-locked NaCl color-center laser. Colliding-pulse operation reduced the pulse widths from 800 to 430 fs. Pulses collided in the InGaAs/InP multiple-quantum-well saturable absorber if the round-trip time from the absorber to the output coupler was less than 1.3 ns, which implies carrier recombination times of that order. Measurements of the gain experienced by two successive pulses indicated partial saturation of the NaCl gain medium.