Picosecond pulses (2 ps) from hybrid mode-locked AlGaAs QW lasers with integrated active waveguide cavities

Single ultrashort optical pulses (2 ps with 17.6 GHz repetition rate) have been generated with hybrid mode-locked monolithic GaAs/AlGaAs lasers at λ = 856 nm. Instead of an external cavity, long active waveguides were used as resonators with a roundtrip frequency of 5.9 GHz. Increasing the pump current in the waveguide far above transparency led to 10 ps pulses with a high peak power of 110 mW.