Tunable and switchable dual-wavelength passively mode-locked fiber ring laser with high-energy pulses at a sub-100 kHz repetition rate

We demonstrate a tunable and switchable dual-wavelength passively mode-locked fiber ring laser in the anomalous dispersion regime that generates high-energy pulses at a sub-100 kHz repetition rate. The nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) technique is employed in this configuration to allow for passively mode-locked operation. By exploiting the intensity-dependent loss caused by NPR, the mode competition could be efficiently alleviated. Moreover, taking advantage of the intrinsic spectral filter induced by the intracavity birefringence, the dual-wavelength separations as well as the wavelength lasing locations could be flexibly tuned by properly rotating the polarization controller. With a repetition rate of 85.8 kHz, the laser delivers the single pulse energy of 198 nJ at a pump power of 250 mW. The combination of high per-pulse energy and flexible tunability in this fiber laser is useful for practical applications.     

Dual-wavelength dissipative soliton operation of an erbium-doped fibre laser using a nonlinear polarization rotation technique

We report on the generation of dual-wavelength dissipative solitons in a passively mode-locked fibre laser with a net normal dispersion using the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) technique. Taking the intrinsic advantage of the intracavity birefringence-induced spectral filtering effect in the NPR-based ring laser cavity, the dual-wavelength dissipative solitons are obtained. In addition, the wavelength separation and the lasing location of the dual-wavelength solitons can be flexibly tuned by changing the orientation of the polarization controller.     

Amplitude-equalized dual-wavelength rational harmonic mode-locked fiber ring laser

We report a dual-wavelength amplitude-equalized rational harmonic mode-locked fiber laser operating at up to 40 GHz based on the technique of nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) in a highly nonlinear fiber. A theoretical simulation shows that NPR structure can introduce a self-feedback mechanism to stabilize the two simultaneously lasing wavelengths. By carefully adjusting the polarization controllers (PCs) in the cavity, amplitude-equalized pulses at two different wavelengths have been obtained.     

环形腔被动锁模掺饵光纤激光器

通过在非线性偏振旋转环形腔内引入一种可旋转的在线起偏器,在保证装置的全光纤化结构的前提下,简化了被动锁模光纤激光器的结构.通过联合调节可旋转的在线起偏器、1/2波片和1/4波片的角度实现了掺饵光纤锁模脉冲20 nm间隔的双波长调谐输出,调谐过程中观察到了锁模脉冲双波长状态.另外,从装置中去掉1/2波片后,仅调谐可旋转的在线起偏器和1/4波片也能够实现锁模脉冲的单波长稳定输出.     

环形腔被动锁模掺饵光纤激光器

通过在非线性偏振旋转环形腔内引入一种可旋转的在线起偏器,在保证装置的全光纤化结构的前提下,简化了被动锁模光纤激光器的结构.通过联合调节可旋转的在线起偏器、1/2波片和1/4波片的角度实现了掺饵光纤锁模脉冲20nm间隔的双波长调谐输出,调谐过程中观察到了锁模脉冲双波长状态.另外,从装置中去掉1/2波片后,仅调谐可旋转的在线起偏器和1/4波片也能够实现锁模脉冲的单波长稳定输出.     

Reflective carbon nanotube as the saturable absorber for mode-locked 1064 nm laser

With a reflective single-walled carbon nanotube as the saturable absorber, a laser diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser at 1064 nm was realized for the first time. The pulse duration of 12 ps was produced with a repetition rate of 83.7 MHz. The peak power and the single pulse energy of the mode-locking laser were 1.28 kW and 15.4 nJ, respectively.     

Environmentally stable ytterbium figure-of-eight fiber laser producing 177-fs pulses

Pulses of 177 fs and 1035 nm, with average power of 1.2 mW, have been generated directly from a passively mode-locked Yb-doped figure-of-eight fiber laser, with a nonlinear optical loop mirror for mode-locking and pairs of diffraction gratings for intracavity dispersion compensation. To our knowledge, these are the shortest pulses ever to come from a passively mode-locked Yb-doped figure-of-eight fiber laser. This represents a 5-fold reduction in pulse duration compared with that of previously reported passively mode-locked Yb-doped figure-of-eight fiber lasers. Stable pulse trains are produced at the fundamental repetition rate of the resonator, 24.0 MHz.     

全光纤超短脉冲掺Yb3+光纤环形激光器

讨论了自启动被动锁模掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器产生短脉冲的机理，并研制出全光纤结构超短脉冲掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器.采用两个976nm半导体激光器级联抽运作为抽运源，高掺杂浓度掺Yb³⁺光纤作为增益介质，利用光纤的非线性偏振旋转效应，得到自启动、十分稳定的ps量级锁模光脉冲.激光器锁模阈值功率260mW，输出功率25mW，锁模光脉冲中心波长1056nm，3dB带宽11.7nm，重复频率20MHz.与其他结构光纤激光器相比，这种全光纤结构具有更高的效率和更好的稳定性. 关键词： 环形光纤激光器 3+光纤')" href="#">高掺杂浓度掺Yb³⁺光纤 自启动 被动锁模     

Diode-pumped passively Q-switched mode-locked Nd:YLF laser with uncoated GaAs saturable absorber

We have demonstrated passively Q-switched mode-locked all-solid-state Nd:YLF laser with an uncoated GaAs wafer as saturable absorber and output mirror simultaneously. Q-switched mode-locking pulses laser with about 100% modulation depth were obtained. The average output power is 890 mW at the incident pump power of 5.76 W, corresponding to an optical slop efficiency of 20%. The temporal duration of mode-locked pulses was about 21 ps. At the Q-switched repetition rate of 30 kHz, the energy and peak power of a single pulse near the maximum of the Q-switched envelope was estimated to be about 1.6 μJ and 76 kW.     

Thermal effects investigation and cavity design in passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser with a SESAM

A diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser with a five-mirror folded cavity is presented by using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The temperature distribution and thermal lensing in laser medium are numerically analyzed to design a special cavity which can keep the power density on SESAM under its damage threshold. Both the Q-switched and continuous-wave mode-locked operation are experimentally realized. The maximum average output power of 8.94 W with a 9.3 ps pulse width at a repetition rate of 111 MHz is obtained under a pump power of 24 W, correspondingly the optical slope efficiency is 39.2%.     

Generation of dual wavelength ultrashort pulse outputs from a passive mode locked fiber ring laser

By incorporating two sections of polarization maintaining fibers in the passive mode locked fiber ring laser cavity, dual wavelength ultrashort pulse outputs, around 1558 nm and 1570 nm, having the same direction of polarization and pulse widths of 2.4 ps and 2.1 ps, respectively, were observed simultaneously.     

Modulation instability induced by cross-phase modulation in a dual-wavelength dispersion-managed soliton fiber ring laser

We report on the observation of the modulation instability induced by cross-phase modulation in a dual-wavelength operation dispersion-managed soliton fiber ring laser with net negative cavity dispersion. The passively mode-locked operation is achieved by using a nonlinear polarization rotation technique. A new type of dual-wavelength operation, where one is femtosecond pulse and the other is picosecond pulse operation, is obtained by properly rotating the polarization controllers. When the dual-wavelength pulses are simultaneously circulating in the laser ring cavity, a series of stable modulation sidebands appears in the picosecond pulse spectrum at longer wavelength with lower peak power due to modulation instability induced by cross-phase modulation between the two lasing wavelengths. Moreover, the intensities and wavelength shifts of the modulation sidebands can be tuned by varying the power of the femtosecond pulse or the lasing central wavelengths of the dual-wavelength pulses. The theoretical analysis of the modulation instability induced by cross-phase modulation in our fiber laser is also presented.     

Low-threshold diode-pumped CW passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser

A low-threshold passively continuous-wave (CW) mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ solid-state laser was demonstrated by use of a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The threshold for continuous-wave mode-locked is relatively low, about 2.15 W. The maximum average output power was 2.12 W and the optical to optical conversion efficiency was about 32%. The pulse width was about 15 ps with the repetition rate of 105 MHz.     

基于石墨烯的1 064 nm连续锁模超短脉冲激光器

介绍了利用沉积在增透镜上的石墨烯薄膜作为可饱和吸收体、808 nm激光二极管端面泵浦Nd∶YVO4晶体的1 064 nm连续锁模激光输出特性。采用W型折叠谐振腔结构,在808 nm泵浦功率为8.0 W时,有稳定的连续锁模脉冲输出,平均输出功率达到185 mW;当抽运功率增加到16.0 W时,获得了中心波长1 063.4 nm、脉冲宽度为518 fs、重复频率为66.7 MHz、最大平均输出功率为323 mW的百飞秒量级超短脉冲激光输出。实验结果表明:石墨烯具有优良的可饱和吸收性,在1 064 nm波段能够实现高功率、百飞秒量级连续锁模脉冲激光输出。     

基于增益光纤长度优化的双波长运转掺铒光纤锁模激光器

构建了可自启动的双波长运转掺铒光纤锁模激光器.通过优化增益光纤长度,利用掺铒光纤在1530nm附近的再吸收效应调节激光器的增益谱,使激光器在1530nm和1560nm附近具有相同的增益强度.实验中采用31cm掺铒光纤作为增益光纤,以透射式半导体可饱和吸收体作为锁模器件,实现了自启动双波长锁模运转.激光器锁模输出重复频率为58.01MHz,信噪比为58.2dB,最高输出功率为4.8mW.锁模输出的光谱在1532.4nm和1552.3nm处具有两个强度接近的谱峰,谱峰间距约为20nm.该激光器无需手动调节即可实现双波长运转,更便于实际使用.     

Self-Q-switched and mode-locked 946 nm Cr,Nd:YAG laser

A simultaneous self-Q-switched and mode-locked diode-pumped 946 nm laser by using a Cr,Nd:YAG crystal as gain medium as well as saturable absorber is demonstrated for the first time as we know. The maximum average output power of 751 mW with a slope efficiency of 18.38% is obtained at an intra-cavity average peak power intensity of 4.83 × 10⁶ W/cm². Under this circumstance, the repetition rate of Q-switched envelopes is 9.63 kHz and the pulse width is about 460 ns. Almost 100% mode-locked modulation depth is obtained at all time in the experiment process whether the incident pump power is low or high. The repetition rate of mode-locked pulses within a Q-switched envelope is 135.13 MHz and the mode-locked pulse width is within 600 ps. The laser produces high-quality pulses in TEM₀₀-mode in the simultaneous self-Q-switched and mode-locked experiment.     

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.     

Compact sub-100-fs Nd:silicate laser

We present a compact Nd:silicate laser pumped by a single 1-W high-brightness commercial laser diode that generates pulses as short as 88 fs (nearly Fourier limited) when passively mode-locked with a saturable absorber mirror. We also tested a prismless cavity setup employing a single Gires-Tournois mirror, yielding 100-fs pulses. These setups are significantly simpler and more compact than those reported previously for short pulse Nd:silicate lasers.     

A novel actively and passively mode-locked semiconductor optical amplifier fiber ring laser

A novel actively and passively mode-locked semiconductor optical amplifier fiber ring laser was presented, where semiconductor optical amplifier provided cavity gain and introduced nonlinear polarization rotation, whereas, intensity modulator not only acted as modulator but also polarizer. The pulses with duration below 3 ps (FWHM) and peak power about 16 mW at a repetition rate of 10 GHz can be obtained in our system and the system stability may be enhanced. To investigate system parameters effects on mode-locked pulses, a theoretical model was developed.     

Observation of stable bound soliton with dual-wavelength in a passively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser

A phase-locked bound state soliton with dual-wavelength is observed experimentally in a passively mode-locked Erdoped fiber(EDF) laser with a fiber loop mirror(FLM). The pulse duration of the soliton is 15 ps and the peak-to-peak separation is 125 ps. The repetition rate of the pulse sequence is 3.47 MHz. The output power is 11.8 mW at the pump power of 128 mW, corresponding to the pulse energy of 1.52 nJ. The FLM with a polarization controller can produce a comb spectrum, which acts as a filter. By adjusting the polarization controller or varying the pump power, the central wavelength of the comb spectrum can be tuned. When it combines with the reflective spectrum of the fiber Bragg grating, the total spectrum of the cavity can be cleaved into two parts, then the bound state soliton with dual-wavelength at 1549.7 nm and 1550.4 nm is obtained.