Semiconductor modelockers

Near to the band edge of semiconductors, especially in quantum well structures, the optical absorption can be saturated easily at relatively low fluences. This allows these structures to be used a saturable absorbers for modelocking lasers of various kinds.

Y. Silberberg, P. W. Smith, D. J. Eilenberger, D. A. B. Miller, A. C. Gossard and W. Wiegmann, “Passive Modelocking of a Semiconductor Diode Laser,” Optics Lett. 9, 507‑509 (1984)

P. W. Smith, Y. Silberberg and D. A. B. Miller, “Mode Locking of Semiconductor Diode Lasers Using Saturable Excitonic Nonlinearities,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B2, 1228‑1236 (1985)

U. Keller, D. A. B. Miller, G. D. Boyd, T. H. Chiu, J. F. Ferguson, and M. T. Asom, “Solid-state low-loss intracavity saturable absorber for Nd:YLF lasers: an antiresonant semiconductor Fabry-Perot saturable absorber,” Optics Lett. 17, 505‑507 (1992)