Ultralow-noise mode-locked optical pulse trains from an external cavity laser based on a slab coupled optical waveguide amplifier (SCOWA)

We report the generation of optical pulse trains with 8.5 fs timing jitter (10 Hz to 10 MHz) from a mode-locked semiconductor laser, with a slab coupled optical waveguide amplifier used as the gain element. This is, to our knowledge, the lowest residual timing jitter reported to date from an actively mode-locked laser.