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Monolithic Quantum Dot Mode-Locked Laser for Arbitrary Waveform Generation

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA8650-07-M-1182
Agency Tracking Number: F071-237-2470
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF071-237
Solicitation Number: 2007.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2007
Award Year: 2007
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2007-05-02
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2008-02-29
Small Business Information
1570 Pacheco Street, Suite E-11
Santa Fe, NM 87505
United States
DUNS: 153579891
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Daniel Kane
 Principal Research Scientist
 (505) 984-1322
 djkane@swsciences.com
Business Contact
 Alan Stanton
Title: President
Phone: (505) 984-1322
Email: astanton@swsciences.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

In the past, passively mode-locked semiconductor laser sources, which require no synchronization by external driver circuits, were greatly preferred for their simplicity, but were plagued with large timing jitter, > 10 ps that restricted their usefulness as short pulse devices. These passive devices also had limited power output in the pulses due to mode competition above threshold and non-linear gain effects. With the introduction of the quantum dot gain media to semiconductor lasers, the ability to tailor the active region to the passively mode-locked laser cavity and thereby produce a low threshold, low noise condition, has lead to superior performance and to a re-evaluation of the monolithic passively mode-locked semiconductor laser as an ultrashort pulse optical source. The challenges, however, for quantum dot mode-locked lasers are to identify fundamental limitations to the pulse width such as non-linear gain and dispersion and to make the operation more robust. In this Phase I SBIR, we will develop the tools required to move toward optimization of key device parameters. The ultimate goal is to develop the quantum dot mode-locked laser technology to the level where it is useable for an ultrashort pulse optical source for arbitrary waveform generation.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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