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.     

掺Yb3+光纤F-P腔被动锁模激光器的实验研究

 掺镱(Yb³⁺光纤被动锁模激光器谐振腔采用线性腔结构，腔内插入二分之一波片和偏振分束器引入偏振旋转，结合半导体可饱和吸收镜的自起动，实现稳定的被动锁模运转。腔内插入光栅对，提供负的群速度色散，以补偿光纤所带来的正色散，达到压缩脉宽的目的。当泵浦功率为300 mW、光栅对的距离为10 cm时，获得稳定的锁模运转，锁模输出功率28 mW，脉冲重复频率20 MHz，输出光谱宽度达15 nm，按脉冲变换极限公式，其脉冲时间宽度与频带宽度的乘积为0.315计算，脉宽可达100 fs以下。     

Optimization of erbium-doped fiber MOPA laser

An erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) constructed in a master oscillator and power amplifier (MOPA) configuration is analyzed. The pump powers for the fiber cavity laser and the booster amplifier stages are managed properly to achieve maximal pump conversion efficiency. Our design achieves a pump conversion efficiency of 91.4%, corresponding to a quantum efficiency of 96.6%, for a 1565.8 nm MOPA laser pumped by a total power of 300 mW at 1480 nm. The optimized MOPA laser shows a 25% enhancement in the pump conversion efficiency, compared to a non-MOPA fiber laser. A side lobe suppression ratio of 48 dB for the optimized MOPA laser is observed.     

Multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation assisted by four-wave-mixing

We experimentally demonstrate a simple-structure but efficient multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation assisted by four-wave-mixing (FWM). Based on the combination of these two nonlinear mechanisms contributing to intensity-dependent loss to alleviate mode competition, the stable multiwavelength operation at room temperature can be realized in a length of dispersion-shifted fiber. We achieved up to 38-wavelength generation with a spacing of ∼0.4 nm in the laser. In addition, through tuning the birefringence fiber filter, the lasing wavelength can be accurately tuned in the free spectrum range.     

Zinc-oxide/PDMS-clad tapered fiber saturable absorber for passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser

We propose and demonstrate a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser(EDFL) based on zincoxide/polydimethylsiloxane(Zn O/PDMS) saturable absorber(SA) that evanescently interacts with the light on a tapered fiber. The Zn O/PDMS composite is coated on the whole surface of the tapered fiber to guarantee the maximum efficiency of the SA device, with a measured insertion loss of 0.87 d B and a modulation depth of 6.4%. The proposed laser can generate soliton mode-locking operation at a threshold power of 33.07 m W. The generated output pulse yields a repetition rate and pulse width of 9.77 MHz and 1.03 ps, respectively. These results indicate that the proposed Zn O/PDMS-clad tapered fiber could be useful as an efficient, compatible, and low-cost SA device for ultrafast laser applications.     

Switchable dual-wavelength Erbium-doped fiber ring laser with cascaded fiber Bragg gratings

We have experimentally shown wavelength mode switching in a dual-wavelength Erbium-doped single cavity fiber laser where the initial two wavelengths of 1 nm spacing are determined by the cascaded reflection type short-period fiber Bragg gratings having two different centre wavelengths of 1550.5 and 1551.5 nm. The lasing mode depends on the polarization in the ring cavity to migrate from one wavelength to another or operates in both modes in a polarization beam splitter output. To effectively control the polarization in the ring cavity, the polarization controllers were positioned before and after the polarization beam splitter. This method of wavelength switching provides a simple way of mode tuning in dual-wavelength fiber lasers.     

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.     

From light modulation to complete mode locking in an argon-ion laser

Summary The mode locking of a long laser cavity is discussed in the framework of the Harris-McDuff theory. Experimental results are presented and compared with theoretical predictions. To speed up publication, the authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

All-fiber single polarized Yb-doped fiber laser with a high extinction ratio

We present an all-fiber design for a single polarization Yb-doped fiber laser with all-fiber connections spliced. Single polarization with a high extinction ratio was achieved by the design of a laser cavity consisting of a fiber Bragg grating inscribed on a single-polarization fiber as a high reflective mirror and a piece of end-cleaved single-polarization fiber as an output coupler. The fiber laser operates at 1063.25 nm with an output power of 1.7 W, an optical signal- to-noise ratio of 70 dB and a narrow bandwidth of 54 pm. The laser output has a polarization extinction ratio of 700:1 or 28 dB, and a very stable power output.     

Stable single longitudinal mode fiber ring laser based on polarization maintaining erbium doped fiber

A stable single longitudinal mode (SLM) fiber ring laser that incorporates polarization maintaining erbium doped fiber (PM EDF) acting as gain medium and saturable absorber is proposed and demonstrated. Both theoretical deviation and experimental result prove that optical intensity is time invariant when the laser operates in single longitudinal mode, the SLM operation can be approximately verified by optical intensity analysis, which is practical to analyze longitudinal mode in the application of engineering. The linewidth of the fiber ring laser is measured by the delayed self-heterodyne interferometery, and an acousto-optic frequency shifter is employed to shift the lasing frequency and eliminate zero frequency interfere. The SLM operation is verified by the scanning Fabry–Perot interferometer, whereas the lasing frequency drift slowly during a period of 2 h, PM EDF is proved to be effective on suppressing mode hopping and selecting longitudinal mode.     

Impacts of operational parameters on nonlinear polarization rotation-based passively mode-locked fiber laser

The operational parameters including the polarization controlling and the pump power in a nonlinear polarization rotation-based passively mode-locked fiber laser are studied in this paper.The carrier rate equations of the activated erbium-doped fiber are first employed together with the nonlinear Shro¨dinger equations to reveal the relation between the operational parameters and the output state of the passively mode-locked fiber laser.The numerical and experimental results demonstrate that the output state of the mode-locked laser varies with the polarization controlling and the pump power.The periodicity of the polarization controlling is observed.With given pump power,there exists a set of polarization controlling under which the ultra-short pulse can be generated.With given polarization controlling,the mode-locked state can be maintained generally except for some particular values of pump power.Three shapes of the output optical spectra from the fiber cavity can be identified when the pump power changes.The results in this paper provide a comprehensive insight into the operation of the nonlinear polarization rotation-based passively mode-locked fiber laser.     

An all-polarization-maintaining repetition-tunable erbium-doped passively mode-locked fiber laser

An environmentally stable, repetition rate tunable, all-polarization-maintaining, Er-doped pulse fiber laser with a single-wall carbon nanotubes saturated absorber is demonstrated. The ring laser cavity includes a delay line enabling a tunable repetition rate to vary from 35.52 MHz to 35.64 MHz with continuous mode-locked operation. The laser output parameters confirm that the tunable mode-locked operations are stable. High environmental stability is also confirmed by the -130 dBc/Hz low phase noise, a 70-dB signal-to-noise ratio of radio frequency signals, a low amplitude fluctuation of 5.76 × 10-4, and a low fluctuation of reoetition rate of 12 Hz. The laser shows a high de~ree of oolarization of 93%.     

A model to characterize the effect of cross phase modulation on polarization in an optical fiber transmission system

This paper presents a model that described the process of inter-influence between cross phase modulation (XPM) and polarization effects such as polarization mode dispersion (PMD) and polarization dependant loss (PDL) in an optical fiber communication system. Previous papers have discussed PMD-PDL and PMD-XPM effects in separate models, but in this work we developed a model that is capable of characterizing and evaluating PMD, PDL and XPM simultaneously. From the model, we found that PMD and PDL can be affected by XPM. The presence of XPM changed the vector directions of PMD and PDL in Stokes space.     

Wavelength-switchable erbium-doped fiber ring laser combined with a Fabry-Perot laser diode and a sampled grating

We present a wavelength-switchable erbium-doped fiber ring laser consisting of an anti-reflection coated Fabry-Perot laser diode (FP-LD) and a sampled fiber Bragg grating (SFBG). The wavelength switching is obtained easily by the shift of FP mode with respect to the reflection peaks of the SFBG. The proposed laser apparatus not only simultaneously emits two wavelengths but also switches between the two wavelengths by adjusting the modes of FP-LD with a change of the injection current of the FP-LD as little as ∼1 mA. The proposed wavelength-switchable erbium-doped fiber ring laser exhibits high laser performance with side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) ?50 dB.     

Mode field profile and polarization dependence of long period fiber gratings written by CO2 laser

Mode field profiles and polarization dependence in the CO₂-laser-notched long period fiber gratings (LPFGs) were investigated in detail. Asymmetric field profile was demonstrated in the 2- and 3-dimensional far field patterns of the CO₂-laser-notched LPFG, which experimentally verifies the previously-presented asymmetry of refractive index modulation within the cross section of the gratings. Polarization dependent loss (PDL) of the LPFG was measured via Mueller matrix method. The maximum PDL of 1.68 dB and the maximum polarization extinction ratio of 1.07 dB are observed in the LPFG.     

Dispersion-tuned multiwavelength actively mode-locked fiber laser using a hybrid gain medium

We demonstrate a multiwavelength 10 GHz pulse source using a dispersion-tuned actively mode-locked fiber ring laser incorporated with a semiconductor optical amplifier and an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Simultaneous seven-wavelength operation of the laser is obtained. The side-mode suppression of all wavelengths is above 30 dB. Smooth wavelength tuning is achieved over more than 12 nm by changing the modulation frequency or the length of the optical delay line. Pulse characteristics are almost constant over the entire tuning span. Wavelength spacing can also be varied from 0.9 to 10 nm by adjusting the dispersion of the cavity. These experimental observations agree well with theoretical analyses.     

Switchable multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber lasers by using cascaded fiber Bragg gratings written in high birefringence fiber

A novel and simple Erbium-doped fiber laser by using cascaded fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) written in high-birefringence fibers for switchable multi-wavelength operation is proposed. Due to two-peak reflection with orthogonal polarizations of the FBG, the polarization hole-burning effect in the cavity is greatly enhanced. Experimental results show that the stable dual- and three-wavelength lasing operation with very narrow wavelength separation (0.39 nm) can be generated at room temperature. The configuration is simple and flexible. Only by adjusting polarization controllers (PCs), the laser can be switched among the stable single-, dual- and three-wavelength lasing operations.     

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.     

A distributed model for continuous-wave erbium-doped fiber laser

A distributed model of a continuous-wave erbium-doped fiber laser is discussed. The model is based on two contra-propagated traveling laser waves, and includes inhomogeneous pumping, excited state absorption at the pump and the laser wavelengths, amplified spontaneous emission and radial distribution of populations of erbium levels. It is shown that excited state absorption is a main limiting factor to the laser's efficiency. Moreover, consideration of radial distributions of erbium levels' populations in the model reduces laser efficiency and decreases optimal reflection of the laser output coupler. The modeling results are in excellent agreement with the experimental study on the EDFL efficiency.     

非线性偏振旋转中偏振控制器方位角的研究

提出一种基于Jones矩阵的非线性偏振旋转锁模光纤激光器数值模型, 对偏振控制器波片方位角的描述具有物理意义清晰的优点. 数值仿真得到均方根宽度为0.28 ps的超短脉冲, 时域对称且振幅稳定. 搭建了非线性偏振旋转锁模光纤激光器, 系统可以自启动, 得到了重复频率为67.35 MHz的锁模脉冲输出. 数值仿真和实验结果都表明偏振控制器两个波片的方位角α₁和α₂都具有周期性, 周期分别为180°和90°. 由于随机双折射的影响, 实验测得的波片方位角调谐范围比数值仿真的结果小, 这一点通过在数值仿真模型中加入随机双折射的作用而得到证明.