Multifrequency mode-locked lasers

A theoretical model is constructed that describes the operation of a pulsed mode-locked laser simultaneously operating at N frequency channels. The model, which is a combination of standard WDM interactions in the canonical master mode-locking model subject to both self- and cavity-saturating gain effects, results in mode-locking dynamics that qualitatively describe the N-frequency channel operation. It is further in agreement with the observed experimental dual-frequency (N=2) laser operation. In the model, it is the combination of self- and cavity-gain saturation that simultaneously allows for mode-locking at N frequencies, which can be of significantly different energies and pulse widths. The model provides a framework for understanding the operation and stability of identically mode-locked pulses at multiple frequencies, thus contributing to the characterization of the increasingly important and timely technology of dual- and multifrequency mode-locked laser cavities.