Photonic generation of microwave signals using dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber lasers

Photonic generation of microwave signals is demonstrated with a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber ring laser. Microwave signal with a frequency of 21.07 GHz is obtained by aligning the reflection band of a uniform fiber Bragg grating to the two transmission peaks within a fiber Bragg grating-based Fabry-Perot filter. Stable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode operation is guaranteed by means of the combined filtering effect of a saturable absorber and the Fabry-Perot filter. This approach provides an effective solution to the photonic generation of high-frequency microwave signals.     

Photonics True-Time-Delay Unit for Phased-Array Antenna Using Multiwavelength Fiber Laser Based on a Sagnac Interferemetric Filter

A photonics true-time-delay system for phased array beamforming using a chirped grating-based time-delay element and a novel multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser source employing a Sagnac filtering mirror is proposed. The Sagnac filtering mirror consists of a polarization maintaining directional coupler and two pieces of polarization maintaining fibers. The lasing wavelength and number are determined by properly adjusting the polarization controller within the unidirectional ring cavity and are very stable. A chirped-grating-based true-time-delay system using the proposed laser source is constructed and demonstrated experimentally.     

基于两滤波器级联和饱和吸收体的单纵模双波长光纤激光器

提出和证实了一种光纤环形激光器. 将一个带通滤波器与一个带阻滤波器级联,用一段保偏掺铒光纤作为饱和吸收体,得到了一种单纵模双波长光纤激光器. 结果表明,该激光器波长间隔为0.4 nm,边模抑制比大于49 dB.如果将两个波长进行差拍,该激光器有潜力得到49.85 GHz的微波信号.     

Single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber ring laser by incorporating variable saturable absorbers and feedback fiber loops

A single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber ring laser is proposed and demonstrated experimentally by introducing feedback fiber loops and a variable saturable absorber in a fiber ring cavity. A dynamic ultra-narrow bandpass filter is formed by the combined interactions of cascaded fiber Bragg gratings, feedback fiber loops and low-pumped erbium-doped fiber. Both ultra-narrow bandpass filter and accurate control for the cavity length are not required for the single-longitudinal-mode performance. The proposed scheme offers a possibility of generating terahertz waves by photomixing the lasing wavelengths in a high-speed photodetector.     

Switchable quadruple-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on two-segment Lyot-Sagnac filter

We propose and demonstrate a novel switchable quadruple-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser (EDFL) based on two-segment Lyot-Sagnac filter which is used as the wavelength-selective filter. Due to the deeply saturated spectral hole-burning (SHB) effect in an ordinary erbium-doped fiber, the laser realizes stable single-wavelength, dual-wavelength, triple-wavelength, and quadruple-wavelength output by controlling two polarization controllers (PCs) appropriately. The optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) is over 30 dB. The peak fluctuation is less than ~2 dB over 1.5 h at room temperature.     

Photonic generation of a microwave signal by incorporating a delay interferometer and a saturable absorber

A novel approach to generate microwave signals is presented by employing a dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser. By using a delay interferometer as a comb filter cascaded with a tunable bandpass filter and a saturable absorber formed by an unpumped polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber, a stable wavelength-tunable dual-wavelength single longitudinal-mode laser is achieved. A microwave signal at 20.07 GHz with a linewidth of <25 kHz is demonstrated by beating the two wavelengths at a photodetector.     

Switchable triple-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser using a single fiber Bragg grating in polarization-maintaining fiber

A stable and narrow wavelength spacing multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. The laser can produce simultaneous dual- and triple-wavelength lasing oscillations with a narrow wavelength spacing of less than 0.1 nm via using a single fiber Bragg gratings written in polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber. By adjusting polarization controller, the wavelength spacing of dual-wavelength lasing oscillations can be tuned to as small as 0.032 nm. The maximum amplitude variation for every lasing wavelength is less than 0.5 dB. The room-temperature operation principle is based on the polarization hole burning and deeply saturated effect in an ordinary erbium-doped fiber ring laser (EDFRL). The laser has the advantages of simple all-fiber configuration, low cost, high stability and operating at room temperature.     

Switchable dual-wavelength polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber laser using an optical circulator as the all-reflecting mirror

A simple and effective switchable dual-wavelength polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. Only using a uniform fiber Bragg grating written directly in a segment of the photosensitive and polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber as the wavelength selector and an optical circulator as the all-reflecting mirror, a stable simultaneous dual-wavelength oscillation is achieved with a wavelength spacing of 0.364 nm experimentally by exploiting the polarization hole burning effect at room temperature. The output can be switched between single- and dual-wavelength by adjusting the polarization controller. The 3-dB bandwidth and the side mode suppression ratio of the laser’s outputs are measured to be less than 0.01 nm and more than 50 dB. The power fluctuation and wavelength drift are measured to be less than 0.50 dB and 0.020 nm over an hour.     

A tunable and switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength fiber laser incorporating a reconfigurable dual-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer and its application in microwave generation

A tunable and switchable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) dual-wavelength fiber laser incorporating a reconfigurable dual-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) filter was proposed and demonstrated, which can be applied in microwave generation. By incorporating a high extinction ratio (ER) dual-pass MZI into an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity, SLM dual-wavelength lasing can be achieved even using a MZI with relatively little free spectrum range (FSR), and by beating the two wavelengths at a photodetector, a 9.76 GHz microwave signal with a 3-dB bandwidth of less than 10 kHz is obtained. Moreover, by direct linking the two outputs of the MZI, the high ER dual-pass MZI is easily reconfigured as a half FSR dual-pass MZI. Using this structure, switchable SLM dual-wavelength lasing can be conveniently realized.     

High frequency microwave signal generation using dual-wavelength emission of cascaded DFB fiber lasers with wavelength spacing tunability

A dual-wavelength fiber laser source based on two cascaded phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings is presented. The gratings are written in an erbium-doped fiber, each configuring the cavity of a distributed feedback fiber laser. The spacing between lasing modes is controlled dynamically by the use of piezoelectric actuators. A continuous tuning range of 5-724 pm of the wavelength difference, which is equivalent to a photodetected 0.72-92 GHz range, is obtained. Efficient generation from the L to the W microwave and millimeter bands has been achieved by heterodyne photodetection of the dual-wavelength optical signal.     

Dual-wavelength narrow-linewidth fiber laser based on F-P fiber ring filter

A dual-wavelength fiber laser with a narrow-linewidth, based on a P-F fiber filter has been proposed. Polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG) and a F-P fiber filter are introduced based on the traditional fiber laser. PM-FBG is used as the wavelength selection device. The fiber F-P filter consists of two optical couplers and a section of un-pumped erbium-doped fiber (EDF). Due to the delay of cavity and the loss generated by the EDF, the filter has comb spectral response. The incorporation of the fiber F-P filter leads to the suppression of undesirable modes. At the room temperature, under 980 nm LD pumped, the maximum output of the two wavelengths is respectively ?2.259 dBm and 0.568 dBm, with the 3-dB bandwidth separately 0.1 nm and 0.14 nm, realizing the narrow linewidth and dual-wavelength output.     

Incorporate, switchable dual-wavelength fiber laser with Bragg gratings written in a polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber

A stable, incorporate and switchable dual-wavelength fiber laser with two fiber Bragg gratings written in a photosensitive and polarization-maintaining erbium-doped fiber directly, that is, without splices in the laser cavity, is proposed and demonstrated. Simultaneous dual-wavelength oscillation is achieved at room temperature with a wavelength spacing of 0.343 nm. The power fluctuation and wavelength shift of single-wavelength oscillations are measured to be less than 0.24 dB and 0.013 nm over 2 h. The wavelength switchability between single- and dual-wavelength oscillations is realized by altering the voltage upon the electrostrictive ceramic actuator.     

Wavelength spacing tunable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser based on fiber Bragg gratings

A wavelength spacing tunable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser is presented by employing separated fiber Bragg gratings. By using a saturable-absorption-induced grating filter and a hybrid gain medium formed by a semiconductor optical amplifier and an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, stable single-longitudinal-mode lasing is achieved at room temperature. Wavelength spacing of the proposed fiber laser can be tuned in a range from 0.1 to 1.3 nm.     

Dual-wavelength S-band erbium-doped fiber double-ring laser

We propose and demonstrate an S-band CW dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber (EDF) dual-ring laser using a compound-ring filter (CRF) with various coupling losses inside the gain cavity. Employing a ring filter combined within the cavity, the fiber laser can lase a dual wavelength without any filter inside the ring loop. The dual-wavelength output exhibits a good performance having optical side-mode suppression ratios (SMSRs) of 31.6 and 31.8 dB and output powers of ?9.6 and ?9.3 dBm at 1505.58 and 1506.43 nm, respectively, when the coupling loss is 30% inside the cavity. In addition, the output stabilities of the dual-wavelength laser have also been analyzed.     

用半导体激光器作调制器的双波长可调谐锁模光纤激光器

提出一种用法布里—珀罗腔半导体激光器(F—PLD)作调制器，用线性凋啾光栅(LCFG)进行波长选择的双波长环形腔主动锁模光纤激光器。利用线性凋啾光栅在腔内的色散效应使两个波长的光脉冲通过饵光纤(EDF)时在时域上分开，从而威小了不同波长的光脉冲同时通过饵光纤时造成的竞争，因此可以在室温下获得波长间隔较小的稳定的双波长光脉冲输出。实验中成功地获得了重复频率约为2GHz，波长间隔为0．92nm的稳定双波长光脉冲，并通过调谐线性凋啾光栅中心波长的位置使激光波长可以在约3nm范围内调谐。     

Switchable single- and dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser assisted by four-wave mixing with wide and continuous tunability

A widely tunable and stable erbium-doped fiber laser based on four-wave mixing effect in a highly nonlinear fiber is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By adjusting reflected power from a dual-selective element, the ring laser is switchable between single- and dual-wavelength operations. The tuning range of the single laser is 22.78 nm, from 1,542.07 to 1,564.85 nm, while the wavelength spacing of the dual-wavelength can be continuously tuned from 0.52 to 22.78 nm. The laser is stable with output peak power fluctuation of <1 dB in 30-min interval.     

Switchable single-longitudinal-mode dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser incorporating a semiconductor optical amplifier

We propose and demonstrate a novel single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser incorporating a semiconductor optical amplifier. The SOA biased in its low-gain regime greatly reduces the gain competition of the two wavelengths. The stable SLM operation is guaranteed by a passive triple-ring cavity and a fiber Fabry-Perot filter. The dual-wavelength output with a 40 GHz wavelength spacing is switchable in the range of 1533-1565.4 nm.     

Stable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser with switchable spacing employing controllable channel loss

A stable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber ring laser with switchable spacing is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) incorporating two fiber optic switches (OS) is used to as the wavelength selector. The ring cavity is divided into two cavities by a 30:70 optical coupler. Equalized dual-wavelength outputs are achieved by controlling the variable optical attenuator (VOA) inserted in the lower loss cavity. The wavelength spacing can be tuned from 0.80 to 12.05 nm. The fiber laser has good optical quality with maximum power fluctuation of 1.5 dB and side mode suppression ratios (SMSRs) higher than 71 dB.     

Microwave generation using an all polarization-maintaining linear cavity dual-wavelength fiber laser with tunable wavelength spacing

A stable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser with a linear cavity is formed by a polarization-maintaining uniform fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG) and a polarization-maintaining linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (PM-LCFBG), both of which were fabricated on a high-birefringence (Hi-Bi) fiber. Experimental results show stable dual-wavelength lasing operation with a wavelength separation of ∼0.22 nm, which can be tuned down to as small as 0.05 nm and a large optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of over 40 dB under room-temperature. Microwave signal at frequency of 9.41, 18.03 and 27.46 GHz is achieved by heterodyned the output lasing wavelengths on a photodetector.     

Single-longitudinal-mode fiber ring laser using fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot filters and variable saturable absorbers

A single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) fiber ring laser is demonstrated by incorporating a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter and a variable saturable absorber in a fiber ring cavity. An ultra-narrow bandpass filter is established by the combined mode filtering of the FBG-based F-P filter and the variable saturable absorber. No accurate control for cavity length is required, and stable single longitudinal-mode operation without mode hopping is conveniently achieved.