A fast quantum-well semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror with low losses for sub-ps passively mode-locked laser

We have developed an all-epitaxial fast QW semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror (SESAM) grown in one step under standard conditions, having low nonsaturable losses. We obtained /spl sim/21 ps excited carrier lifetime. This device is well suited for passively mode-locked sources. With this device, we recently obtained sub-500 fs soliton-like pulse in a VCSELs. With 100 mW average power at >1.2 GHz.