Large-signal dynamics of an ultrafast semiconductor laser at digital modulation rates approaching 10 Gbit/s

High-fidelity pseudorandom digital modulation at 8.2 Gbit/s of an ultrahigh speed semiconductor laser is demonstrated. Studies using simple but representative pulse patterns at 10 Gbit/s give insights into the maximum digital modulation rate attainable from a given laser, as well as relations between large-signal digital performance and small-signal analog response.