10-GHz 11.5-ps Pulse Generation From a Single-Mode Gain-Switched InGaAs VCSEL at 1.1 μm

We have successfully generated a 10-GHz 11.5-ps pulse train at 1.1 mum by using a gain switching technique with a high-speed and single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The InGaAs-based VCSEL we used had a sidemode suppression ratio of more than 50 dB and a modulation bandwidth of 7.2 GHz. A nearly transform-limited Gaussian pulse was obtained after chirp compensation, and the repetition rate can be increased up to 16 GHz. We also demonstrated a 10-Gb/s return-to-zero data modulation for the generated 10-GHz pulse train.