Measurement of 1.3 and 1.55 μm gain-switched semiconductor laser pulses with a picosecond IR streak camera and a high-speed InGaAs PIN photodiode

Gain-switched semiconductor laser pulses at 1.3 and 1.55 μm were measured both with a high-speed InGaAs PIN photodiode and an IR synchroscan streak camera. Gain-switching characteristics and their bias dependence observed with both detection schemes are consistent with each other. Laser pulses of 24–30 ps duration are observed. Picosecond pulses from a gain-switched 1.55 μm DFB laser are found to be chirped but not transform-limited.