Gain-switched semiconductor light pulse source, and a soliton transmission system

摘要

An electrical power supply (20, 22) powers a semiconductor laser chip (2) under gain switching conditions so as to make the chip emit light pulses. The light pulses are compressed in a fiber (30) having negative dispersion, so that they constitute solitons. Their spectrum width is decreased by the fact that a gain segment powered by the power supply constitutes only a portion of the length of the resonant cavity of the chip. The invention applies to transmitting data over optical fibers.