Analysis of dynamics of monolithic passively mode-locked laser diodes under external periodic excitation

A distributed time-domain model is used for numerical analysis of the dynamics of a passively mode-locked laser diode under external modulation at a frequency close to the round-trip frequency of the laser. Dynamical regimes of the laser, such as synchronisation locking, quasilocking and RF frequency mixing, are studied. For the locked regime, steady-state parameters are defined, the crucial role of group-velocity dispersion in achieving locking is demonstrated and stages of the locking dynamics and corresponding time constants are identified.