All-optical synchronization and multiplication of the frequency of mode-locked signals

Abstract

We report all-optical synchronized multiplication by rational fractions of the modulation frequency of optical signals in self-pulsing two-section semiconductor laser diodes. The effect is based on the overlap of harmonics of the input signal with harmonics of the self-pulsation. We illustrate this new generic function with modelocked inputs rich in harmonics were fractions of 1,2, and 3 / 2 are generated, and we identify a number of applications for this effect.