Regimes of operation states in passively mode-locked fiber soliton ring laser

The principal of passively mode-locked fiber soliton ring lasers is summarized, including its three output operation states: normal soliton, bound–solitons and noise-like pulse. The experimental results of the passively mode-locked fiber soliton ring lasers developed by us are given. Bound–solitons with different discrete separations and three-bound–solitons state have been observed in our fiber laser for the first time. The relationship among three operation states in fiber soliton laser is analyzed.     

色散管理掺铥光纤激光器高能量脉冲的产生

设计了一种基于色散管理的掺铥光纤激光器。通过调节泵浦功率以及腔内偏振态，首先实现了稳定的展宽脉冲输出，中心波长和脉冲宽度分别为1 939.4 nm和482 fs。最大输出功率为15 mW，对应的单脉冲能量为0.52 nJ。增加泵浦功率到645 mW时，通过适当调节偏振控制器可以实现类噪声脉冲锁模，中心波长为1 940.1 nm。所实现的锁模脉冲具有飞秒量级的尖峰以及皮秒量级的基底。最大输出功率为20.4 mW，相对应的单脉冲能量为0.7 nJ。相比于传统孤子，采用色散管理所实现的锁模脉冲具有更高的脉冲能量。此外，所设计的掺铥光纤激光器可作为理想的主振荡功率放大以及啁啾脉冲放大结构的种子源，进一步提高脉冲能量，拓展2 μm高能光纤激光器的实际应用。     

孤子分子/类噪声脉冲可切换的混合锁模光纤激光器

不同类型脉冲之间的演化是被动锁模光纤激光器丰富动力学的体现。报道了一种可实现多种脉冲切换的混合锁模光纤激光器,当泵浦功率为400 mW时实现了孤子分子、谐波锁模、孤子簇之间的相互切换。增加泵浦功率至600 mW时获得了类噪声脉冲输出,对应的输出功率和单脉冲能量分别为15.2 mW和0.86 nJ。通过调节偏振控制器实现了类噪声脉冲中心波长从1 895 nm到1 930 nm可调谐。所搭建的激光器具有锁模脉冲可切换,波长可调谐,能自启动等优点。     

120 nm Bandwidth noise-like pulse generation in an erbium-doped fiber laser

We report on the generation of noise-like pulses with up to 120 nm bandwidth in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber ring laser. By inserting a segment of slightly normal dispersion fiber in a mode-locked fiber laser cavity, we found that the spectrum of the noise-like pulse emission of the laser can be significantly broadened as a result of the four-wave-mixing and the soliton self-frequency shift effects in the inserted fiber.     

超长腔碳纳米管锁模多波长掺镱光纤激光器

报道了一种超长腔碳纳米管锁模多波长掺镱光纤激光器, 光纤激光器的总长度为1021.2 m. 实验得到了噪声型孤子和孤子雨两种类型的多波长锁模脉冲, 重复频率均为199.8 kHz. 孤子雨具有更高的输出功率和单脉冲能量, 分别为40.3 mW和201.5 nJ, 对应的脉冲宽度为102.5 ns.     

Stable new bound soliton pairs in a 10 GHz hybrid frequency modulation mode-locked Er-fiber laser

We report what is, to our knowledge, the first experimental observation of stable new bound soliton pairs at the 10 GHz repetition rate in a hybrid FM harmonic mode-locked Er-fiber laser (1177 soliton pairs simultaneously in the laser cavity). The two solitons in the soliton pair have the identical pulse shape and are with the antiphase (pi phase difference). Their time separation is about three times the FWHM soliton width and varies with the phase modulation strength. The corresponding mechanism for explaining the formation as well as the superior stability of these closely bound soliton pairs is also given.     

Long-cavity passively mode-locked fiber ring laser with high-energy rectangular-shape pulses in anomalous dispersion regime

We report on a long-cavity passively mode-locked fiber laser in the anomalous dispersion regime. The nonlinear polarization rotation technique is employed to achieve mode locking. The output pulse from the fiber laser has a rectangular shape and a corresponding gaussian-shape spectral profile. Stable mode-locked pulses at a repetition rate of 278 kHz with single pulse energy as high as 715 nJ are obtained under equal bidirectional pumping power of 500 mW in cavity. The experimental results demonstrate that the passively mode-locked fiber laser operating in the anomalous regime can also realize a high-energy pulse, which is different from the conventional low-energy soliton pulse.     

Passively harmonic mode-locked erbium-doped fiber soliton laser with a nonlinear polarization rotation

Based on the nonlinear polarization rotation technique, we report on a stable passive 23rd harmonic mode-locked erbium-doped fiber soliton laser for the first time to the best of our knowledge. In this laser, 23 solitons are uniformly distributed in the cavity simultaneously, and all solitons have the same energy and duration. The increase of the coupler output enhances the dispersive radiation, and the longer cavity strengthens the interaction between solitons and dispersive waves. The two above factors play the key function to generate the 23rd harmonic mode-locked operation.     

Direct generation of a 10 GHz 816 fs pulse train from an erbium-fiber soliton laser with asynchronous phase modulation

By employing the technique of asynchronous mode locking, we have successfully demonstrated direct generation of stable 10 GHz 816 fs pulse trains with a supermode-suppression ratio >70 dB from a hybrid mode-locked Er-fiber laser. When the modulation frequency deviates from the cavity harmonic frequency by 15-40 kHz, stable femtosecond soliton pulses are formed. Our results demonstrate that asynchronous mode locking can act as an effective mechanism for achieving a shorter pulse width and for stabilizing high-repetition-rate pulse trains in soliton fiber lasers.     

位于第三近红外窗口的平坦光纤超连续谱产生

报道了一种基于非线性偏振旋转效应的被动锁模光纤激光器。采用980 nm分布式反馈激光器作为泵浦源,0.5 m长的高掺杂掺铒光纤作为增益介质。实现了脉冲宽度为822 fs的传统孤子锁模脉冲,输出脉冲的平均功率为2.8 mW,信噪比为55.8 dB。通过微调腔内的偏振控制器,实现了传统孤子脉冲和孤子分子脉冲间的切换,孤子分子的脉冲宽度为312 fs,信噪比为53.86 dB。孤子分子脉冲经掺铒光纤放大器放大后泵浦一段57 m长的高非线性光纤,产生了位于第三近红外窗口（1600 nm～1870 nm）的超连续谱,其20 dB谱宽为355.8 nm。     

Observation of high-order polarization-locked vector solitons in a fiber laser

We report on the experimental observation of a new type of polarization-locked vector soliton in a passively mode-locked fiber laser. The vector soliton is characterized by the fact that not only are the two orthogonally polarized soliton components phase-locked, but also one of the components has a double-humped intensity profile. Multiple phase-locked high-order vector solitons with identical soliton parameters and harmonic mode locking of the vector solitons were also obtained in the laser. Numerical simulations confirmed the existence of stable high-order vector solitons in the fiber laser.     

Passive harmonic mode locking of soliton bunches in a fiber ring laser

We report on the experimental observation of passive harmonic mode locking of bunches of single-pulse solitons or twin-pulse solitons in an Erbium-doped fiber ring laser. Experimental investigations on the phenomenon revealed that, although the soliton interaction between the adjacent single-/twin-pulse solitons in a bunch is weaker than that of the pulse interaction in the twin-pulse solitons, a soliton bunch could also function as a unit and form the state of passively harmonic mode-locking. Harmonic mode-locking is one of the intrinsic characteristics of soliton emission in passively mode-locked fiber ring lasers. It can be formed based on the single-pulse soliton, twin-pulse soliton, or bunch of solitons.     

Harmonic Mode-Locked Ytterbium-Doped Fibre Ring Laser

We demonstrate a harmonic mode-locked ytterbium-doped fibre ring laser, which consists of a polarization-sensitive isolator, two polarization controllers, two 976nm laser diodes as the pump source and a two-segment ytterbium-doped fibre. Utilizing an additive pulse mode-locked technique based on nonlinear polarization evolution, the ytterbium-doped fibre laser can operate in mode-locked state by adjusting the position of polarization controllers. The cavity fundamental repetition rate is 23.78 MHz. We also observe the second- and third-harmonic mode locking in the normal dispersion region, and their repetition rates are 47.66 MHz and 71.56 MHz, respectively. Over-driving of the saturable absorber in the harmonic mode-locking pulse is analysed and discussed in detail.     

基于混合锁模的耗散孤子掺铒光纤激光器

从一种简单、全光纤结构的混合被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器中,得到了高稳定性、宽光谱的耗散孤子。激光器结合了半导体可饱和吸收体和非线性偏振旋转两种锁模机制,并运行在正常色散区内;通过色散管理,激光器能产生光谱宽度39.1 nm和时域宽度178 fs的孤子脉冲序列。激光输出的中心波长为1.55μm,重复频率约为34.3 MHz,单脉冲能量在0.33 nJ左右。与此同时,激光器的斜效率也约等于15.5%;室温工作下,激光器能实现自启动锁模,且运行在稳定单脉冲输出状态的时长在15 h以上。     

基于非线性放大环镜和Lyot滤波器的多波长与耗散孤子锁模态开关型掺铥光纤激光器

报道了一种基于非线性放大环镜和Lyot滤波器技术的态开关型掺铥光纤激光器.通过仔细调节偏振控制器和泵浦功率,掺铥光纤激光器可以分别在多波长态和耗散孤子锁模态运行,并且两种态之间可以相互切换.对于多波长态,在光谱半功率值范围内能生成8个稳定的波长;对于耗散孤子锁模态,在1996 nm的中心波长处产生脉冲能量高达41.49 nJ,脉冲持续时间为2.4 ns,光谱带宽为29 nm的耗散孤子.不同运行态间的切换归因于偏振控制器导致的非线性放大环镜的功能的改变.     

Chaotic dynamics of a passively mode-locked soliton fiber ring laser

We report on the experimental and numerical studies of the chaotic dynamics of a soliton fiber ring laser passively mode-locked by using the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) technique. Period-doubling route to chaos on the soliton repetition rate of either the single pulse soliton or the bound solitons of the laser was experimentally observed. Based on a coupled complex Ginzburg-Landau equation model and also taking into account the laser cavity effect, we further show numerically that the period-doubling bifurcations and route to chaos are intrinsic properties of the laser, whose appearance is independent of the details of the laser cavity design and the laser soliton operation. Property of the solitons under the dynamical bifurcations is also numerically investigated.     

Q-switched mode-locking in an erbium-doped femtosecond fiber laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation

An erbium-doped fiber laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) and negative group velocity dispersion (GVD) is built up. Two different Q-switched mode-locked (QML) operation states which can be distinguished by the properties in time and frequency domains are demonstrated. Besides the QML, stable continuous-wave mode-locked pulses centered at 1560 nm wavelength with pulse-width of 670 fs, harmonic mode-locking, Q-switching, and pulse splitting have been observed, respectively.     

Gain-guided soliton in a positive group-dispersion fiber laser

We report on the operation of a passively mode-locked fiber ring laser made of purely normal dispersive fibers. Self-started mode locking can still be achieved in the laser by use of the nonlinear polarization rotation technique, and the mode-locked pulse has large pulse energy, strong frequency chirp, and a mode-locked spectral width limited by the effective laser gain bandwidth. Furthermore, we show that the operation of the laser can be well described by an extended Ginzburg-Landau equation model that governs the soliton dynamics of fiber lasers.     

基于类噪声方波脉冲的掺铒光纤激光器

搭建了长腔"8"字型掺铒光纤激光器,并对产生的谐波锁模方波脉冲进行了实验研究.结果表明,该脉冲具有光滑的宽带光谱,示波器上显示为方波脉冲,但自相关迹证实其为类噪声脉冲,即为类噪声方波脉冲;通过调节偏振控制器和泵浦功率等激光器腔内参量,获得了高达5阶的谐波锁模类噪声方波脉冲;该类噪声方波脉冲并非可以无限增大脉冲能量,而是在一定条件下产生脉冲分裂,出现谐波锁模方波脉冲现象.     

Investigation of soliton pairs in an erbium-doped fiber laser with large normal dispersion

We experimentally investigate the soliton pairs in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser with large normal cavity dispersion. By adjusting the polarization state, four different kinds of soliton pairs are achieved. The pulses in soliton pairs exhibit different temporal separations, and show randomly distributed spikes on the top-flat of spectra. The pulse-pulse interactions in the soliton pairs are investigated, and it is suggested that the pulse separation, pulse duration, and their relative intensities all determine the strength of pulse interactions.