Pulse shortening in an actively mode-locked laser with parity-time symmetry

Luqi Yuan; Qian Lin; Meng Xiao; Avik Dutt; Shanhui Fan

doi:10.1063/1.5039375

APL Photonics (Aug 2018)

Pulse shortening in an actively mode-locked laser with parity-time symmetry

Luqi Yuan,
Qian Lin,
Meng Xiao,
Avik Dutt,
Shanhui Fan

Affiliations

Luqi Yuan: Department of Electrical Engineering, and Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Qian Lin: Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Meng Xiao: Department of Electrical Engineering, and Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Avik Dutt: Department of Electrical Engineering, and Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Shanhui Fan: Department of Electrical Engineering, and Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5039375
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 3, no. 8
pp. 086103 – 086103-8

Abstract

Read online

We consider an actively mode-locked laser system with parity-time symmetry. The system consists of two ring cavities, each incorporating an amplitude modulator operating at the same modulation frequency, but with the modulation phases differing by π. We show that spontaneous parity-time symmetry breaking can be used to shorten the temporal width of the pulse generated through active mode locking in this system. Our work highlights the importance of applying the concept of parity-time symmetry in pulsed laser systems.

Published in APL Photonics

ISSN: 2378-0967 (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General): Applied optics. Photonics
Website: https://aplphotonics.aip.org

About the journal