A 440 fs, 9.2 GHz Hybrid Mode-Locked Erbium Fiber Laser with a Combination of Higher-Order Solitons and a SESAM Saturable Absorber

We present a 440 fs, 9.2 GHz hybrid mode-locked fiber laser incorporating a SESAM in a regeneratively mode-locked laser cavity. A combination of higher-order solitons and saturable absorption enables very efficient pulse narrowing with no pedestals.