Hybrid mode-locking in monolithic quantum dot ͑QD͒ lasers is studied experimentally and theoretically. A strong asymmetry of the locking range with respect to the passive mode locking frequency is observed. The width of this range increases linearly with the modulation amplitude for all operating parameters. Maximum locking range found is 30 MHz. The results of a numerical analysis performed using a set of delay-differential equations taking into account carrier exchange between QDs and wetting layer are in agreement with experiments and indicate that a spectral filtering element could improve locking characteristics. © 2010 American Institute of Physics. ͓doi:10.1063/1.3279136͔Quantum dot ͑QD͒ mode-locked lasers are promising for telecom applications since they demonstrate a number of important advantages as compared to standard quantum well ͑QW͒ devices.1-3 However, tailoring the characteristics of QD lasers for specific applications is a challenging issue. An important characteristics of hybrid mode-locking ͑ML͒, a commonly used technique for improving quality of modelocked pulses, is the frequency locking range where the pulse repetition frequency can be synchronized to that of the external signal. Since the first reports on 10 GHz hybrid ML ͑Ref. 4͒ a significant reduction of the pulse jitter has been demonstrated using hybrid ML with promising results of 124 and 190 fs for 40 GHz mode-locked lasers. 5,6 However, the so far achieved locking range for hybrid ML in QD lasers is smaller than that reported for QW devices. This fact was recently discussed in Ref. 7.In this letter we study, experimentally and theoretically, the characteristics of the hybrid mode-locked regime in QD lasers with a pulse repetition rate of 40 GHz. We find that stable hybrid ML in QD lasers shows a locking range up to a few tens of MHz demonstrating a strong asymmetry with respect to the frequency of the free running passively modelocked laser. We also discuss a possible improvement of hybrid ML locking range, and describe bifurcation mechanisms responsible for locking and unlocking between the fundamental ML regime and the external RF modulation.Experimental investigations have been performed using a monolithic 40 GHz QD laser integrated in a module, comprising a standard single mode fiber pigtail and a microwave port. It is based on a two-section QD laser diode with a total length of 1 mm ͑saturable absorber length is 1/10 of the total length͒ and a 4 m wide ridge waveguide structure. The active zone of the device contains 15 layers of self-organized InAs QDs emitting at 1.3 m embedded in InGaAs quantum wells. 6 The threshold current density of the diode is 360 A / cm 2 .In the absence of the external modulation, the laser exhibits passive ML, which remains stable in a wide range of operating parameters. External modulation of the voltage V is applied to the absorber section of the device and has the form of V ͓1+a cos͑⍀t͔͒ where a, ⍀, and V are the amplitude, frequency, and dc component of the reverse bias, respectively.In order t...