Multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor lasers for photonic access network applications

High performance, inexpensive light sources are needed for the deployment of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) photonic access networks. In this dissertation, multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor lasers are shown to excel in areas critical to advanced network function. An evaluation of multiwavelength passive, active, and hybrid modelocking reveals that hybrid modelocking is optimum for the suppression of mode partition noise as well as coherence tailoring in multiwavelength lasers. Low-distortion propagation of 10 channel x 5 GHz multiwavelength pulses through multimode fiber is attained.{09}Intracavity gain flattening enables the simultaneous generation of 6 GHz pulse trains into 168 parallel wavelength channels for a 1 THz aggregate pulse rate from a single laser source. The prospect for cavity miniaturization and eventual chip-scale integration is verified by shrinking the laser system physical dimensions down to the scale of standard telecommunications laser packaging. This work conveys the potential for semiconductor laser modelocking to produce multiple telecommunications wavelengths for extremely high rate data transmission in cost-efficient WDM access networks.