Timing restoration dynamics in an actively mode-locked fiber ring laser

Using electronic phase detection, we study the dynamics that govern pulse retiming in an actively mode-locked fiber laser. We compare the dynamics for amplitude and for phase modulation and identify the characteristic time constants for each case. The retiming dynamics for amplitude modulation are revealed as a first-order exponential decay, whereas for phase modulation the dynamics are those of a damped harmonic oscillator. We show that the measured time constants agree with predictions given by the soliton perturbation theory. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.