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International audience; An analysis of optical injection on a gain-switched distributed feedback (DFB) laser and its impact on pulse parameters that influence the performance of the pulse source in high-speed optical communication systems is presented in this paper. A range of 10 GHz in detuning and 5 dB in injected power has been experimentally identified to attain pulses, from an optically injected gain-switched DFB laser, with durations below 10 ps and pedestal suppression higher than 35 dB. These pulse features are associated with a side mode suppression ratio of about 30 dB and a timing jitter of less than 1 ps. This demonstrates the feasibility of using optical injection in conjunction with appropriate pulse compression schemes for developing an optimized and cost-efficient pulse source, based on a gain-switched DFB laser, for high-speed photonic systems.

International audience; We present here for the first time experimental bifurcation diagrams of a self-pulsing dual wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser. New type of generalized bistabilities are observed such as 3T-chaos and 1T-chaos. Theoretical calculation based on the two-mode ion-pair model shows a very good agreement with the experimental results.

The amplification response of a laser to a weak, narrow line width signal is measured above the laser threshold and below the minimum injection power condition for locking. This signal has the same resonant frequency as the laser but a smaller line width which allows to separate its effect from that of the spontaneous emission in the laser output spectral density. Optical powers as low as −117 dBm or 0.2 photon per correlation time are experimentally detected. Phenomena are theoretically explained by using simple semiclassical formulas based on the laser transfer function.