Generation of continuous wavelength-tunable optical short pulses with two Fabry–Pérot laser diodes in an external injection-seeding scheme

Abstract

We have developed an external-injection seeding system to generate continuous wavelength-tunable optical short pulses with a side-mode suppression ratio of more than 28 dB over a wavelength-tuning range of 21.2 nm. The system consists of two Fabry–Pérot laser diodes, one of which is gain switched and another that is dc biased; two tunable optical filters; an erbium-doped optical-fiber amplifier; and a circulator. The system is simple, easy to operate, and robust and may be used in wavelength-division-multiplexed optical-communication systems and in time-division multiplexing of spectroscopic gas sensors.