A Robust Wavelength-Tunable 1.5 micron Soliton Source

We demonstrate a robust, broadly tunable pulse source near 1.55 micron wavelength consisting of an optical fiber external cavity coupled to an antireflection-coated InGaAsP two-section distributed-Bragg-reflector laser. The laser is actively mode-locked at a repetition rate of 1.92 GHz to produce nearly transform-limited pulses with full width at half maximum as low as 24 ps and can be electrically tuned over a wavelength range exceeding 8 nm.