Passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber lasers using multiple quantum well saturable absorbers

An experimental study of the mode-locking process in erbium-doped fiber lasers (EDFL's) operating at 1.55 ;Soliton mode-locking using saturable absorbers was the mechanism responsible for the generation of the picosecond pulses by the EDFL. The long-lived carrier lifetime in the quantum wells was the primary optical property of the saturable absorber that determined the final pulse width. The carrier lifetimes of the eight individual saturable absorbers were investigated using time-resolved pump/probe experimental techniques. The lifetimes ranged from 40 to 1757 ps. The soliton mode-locking process allowed pulse widths of up to 45 times shorter than these carrier lifetimes to be produced.;A self-starting passively mode-locked solid-state Cr...