Programmable optical waveform generation in a mode-locked gain-modulated SOA-fiber laser

In this work, we demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, programmable generation of arbitrarily complex optical waveforms in a hybrid synchronously pumped fiber-semiconductor laser. We show that in the mode-locked operation, the temporal profile of the generated pulses may follow that of electrical pulses pumping a semiconductor optical amplifier. Controlling the temporal profile of the electrical pump pulses enables the formation of a desired amplitude–time pattern of laser pulses reproduced over each cavity round trip. The identified availability of stable periodic optical waveforms with a pre-set shape and structure opens up prospects for a new generation of laser radiation sources with a widely controllable pulse shape for research and practical applications.