High-energy mode-locked all-fiber laser with ultralong resonator

The first experimental results on an all-fiber mode-locked ytterbium laser whose ultralong cavity has a length of 8 km are presented. An increase in the length of the laser cavity at a constant mean power of radiation makes it possible to increase the pulse energy by more than two orders of magnitude to a level of 4 μJ, which is record-high for the pulses generated by a fiber mode-locked master oscillator in the absence of Q-switching. A pulse repetition rate of 37 kHz is the record-low repetition rate for the mode-locked lasers. The numerical simulation of the lasing in the absence of extension fiber yields a possibility of a wide-range variation in the pulse duration due to the tuning of the intracavity polarization controllers. The simulation results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.     

Er-doped fibre laser mode-locked by mechanically exfoliated graphene saturable absorber

Erbium-doped fibre laser mode-locked by a graphene saturable absorber is presented. Pulses with 630-fs duration and 41.9-MHz repetition frequency were achieved at the centre wavelength of 1562 nm and 9-nm FWHM bandwidth. Multilayer graphene was obtained by mechanical exfoliation from a pure graphite block by using the scotch-tape method and deposited on a fibre ferrule to form a saturable absorber. The laser operated in a mode-locked regime with 37-mW pumping and 4-mW output power.     

全光纤高功率被动锁模掺铥光纤激光器

利用非线性光环形镜（NOLM）的可饱和吸收特性实现了可自启动的2 m全光纤高能量被动锁模掺铥光纤激光器。当泵浦功率大于3 W时,激光器工作在连续或不稳定脉冲运转状态;泵浦功率达到4.69 W后,输出为自启动锁模脉冲,重复频率4.26 MHz,中心波长2 061.5 nm,光谱半极大宽度18.1 nm,平均输出功率8.8 mW;继续增加泵浦功率到最大值7.56 W,可以得到中心波长2 062.2 nm、光谱半极大宽度17.1 nm、斜率效率为6.2%、脉冲宽度和能量分别为424 fs和65.6 nJ的稳定锁模脉冲。这是目前已报道的在未经放大情况下脉冲能量最高的2 m锁模脉冲光纤激光器。     

Pulse-train nonuniformity in an all-fiber ring laser passively mode-locked by nonlinear polarization rotation

This paper reports the periodic power variation of the pulse-train in a passively mode-locked soliton fiber ring laser. It can obtain either the uniform or nonuniform pulse-train output by simply rotating the polarization controllers. The experimental results show that the pulse-train nonuniformity is caused by the interaction between the nonuniform polarization states of the soliton pulses and the passive polarizer in the cavity.     

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.     

Multimode interference filter for tuning of a mode-locked all-fiber erbium laser

We present a mode-locked all-fiber erbium laser that can be tuned in wavelength while in pulsed operation. A low-cost multimode interference bandpass filter based solely on standard fibers was employed in a sigma-shaped cavity design. By bending the fiber filter, the spectrum could be continuously shifted by up to 11.6 nm without interrupting pulsed operation, and output powers of more than 3.3 mW at pulse durations below 350 fs were achieved.     

Stable single frequency Er-doped all-fiber ring laser with fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot filter

Using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and a Fabry-Perot cavity composed of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGFP) as its frequency-selective components, a type of single frequency all-fiber ring laser permits oscillation only on one longitudinal mode of the main cavity without modehopping while the cavity length can be up to tens of meters. The salient feature is due to the single narrowband resonance of the FBGFP filter. Such a fiber ring laser is achieved experimentally, and the laser mode is limited inside the single resonance of the FBGFP.     

High frequency pulse trains from a self-starting additive pulse mode-locked all-fiber laser

In this paper, a coupled-cavity Er-doped fiber laser is experimentally developed and analyzed. The proposed scheme has the advantage of an all-fiber configuration. Two similar fiber Bragg gratings are employed as reflective components of the main cavity containing the gain medium. The second cavity is generated, in one side, by the reflective flat end of a standard fiber optic pigtail of variable length and, in the other, by one of the Bragg gratings belonging to the main cavity. Depending on the ratio between the lengths of both cavities, trains of stable and short pulses were obtained with a repetition frequency larger than the frequency of the main cavity. The repetition rate of the pulse trains experimentally obtained was as high as 780 MHz (15 times the main cavity frequency) and the pulse width was ∼110 ps. Prediction of the possible repetition rates for each cavities lengths ratio and the upgrading possibilities of this laser system are analyzed.     

Diode-pumped Cr:LiCAF fs regenerative amplifier system seeded by an Er-doped mode-locked fiber laser

A fs regenerative amplifier based on Cr:LiCAF is demonstrated for the first time. With direct diode pumping, 8 μJ of pulse energy are obtained directly from the amplifier. When seeded by an Er-doped fiber laser, the amplified seed pulses are compressed down to 252 fs, limited by residual net third-order dispersion of the compression gratings and intracavity elements. Pulse broadening due to second- and third-order dispersion is theoretically investigated and compared to experimental results. Dispersion generated by the geometrical cavity arrangement is measured experimentally. Received: 19 November 2001 / Revised version: 28 January 2002 / Published online: 14 March 2002     

Observation of 550 MHz passively harmonic mode-locked pulses at L-band in an Er-doped fiber laser using carbon nanotubes film

We demonstrate a passively harmonic mode-locked(PHML) fiber laser operating at the L-band using carbon nanotubes polyvinyl alcohol(CNTs-PVA) film. Under suitable pump power and an appropriate setting of the polarization controller(PC), the 54~(th) harmonic pulses at the L-band are generated with the side mode suppression ratio(SMSR) better than 44 dB and a repetition frequency of 503.37 MHz. Further increasing the pump power leads to a higher frequency of 550 MHz with compromised stability of 38.5 dB SMSR. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration on the generation of L-band PHML pulses from an Er-doped fiber laser based on CNTs.     

First-principles prediction of an intrinsic half-metallic graphitic hydrogenated carbon nitride

The electronic properties of an experimentally realized graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₃) layer has been studied via first-principles calculations. Unlike the recently reported ferromagnetic g-C₄N₃ structure, the g-C₃N₃ system is nonmagnetic. Based on the two-dimensional g-C₃N₃ structure, we predicts a new graphitic hydrogenated carbon nitride (g-H₃C₃N₃) for the first time, which shows 100% half-metallic property around Fermi energy. It would be a kind of important material in spintronics if it could be synthesized experimentally in the future.     

High-energy dissipative soliton with MHz repetition rate from an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser

We experimentally demonstrate pulse energy enhancement in an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser operating in the large normal dispersion regime. By increasing the laser cavity length as well as its net cavity dispersion, the proposed laser, which is mode-locked by nonlinear polarization rotation, generates highly chirped dissipative solitons with pulse energies up to 9.4 nJ. The fundamental repetition rate is 2.3 MHz, and the pulse duration is 35 ps. Such low repetition rate as well as wide pulse width makes this mode-locked all-fiber laser a suitable oscillator to directly seed a fiber amplifier, which can be used as compact sources for high-power applications.     

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.     

Preparation and characterization of graphitic carbon nitride through pyrolysis of melamine

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) has been synthesized via a two-step pyrolysis of melamine (C₃H₆N₆) at 800°C for 2 h under vacuum conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns strongly indicate that the synthesized sample is g-C₃N₄. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphologies indicate that the product is mainly composed of graphitic carbon nitride. The stoichiometric ratio of C:N is determined to be 0.72 by elemental analysis (EA). Chemical bonding of the sample has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) verifies the bonding state between carbon and nitrogen atoms. Optical properties of the g-C₃N₄ were investigated by PL (photoluminescence) measurements and UV–Vis (ultraviolet–visible) absorption spectra. We suppose its luminescent properties may have potential application as component of optical nanoscale devices. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were also performed.     

Pulsed laser deposition of carbon nitride films by a sub-ps laser

CN_x (0.01-2 to 0.6 mbar the nitrogen content of the films increases monotonously, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the films consist predominantly of highly amorphous carbon.     

Ultralow-jitter passive timing stabilization of a mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser by injection of an optical pulse train

The pulse timing of a mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser was stabilized to a reference pulse train from a Cr:forsterite mode-locked laser by all-optical passive synchronization scheme. The reference pulses were injected into a ring cavity of the fiber laser by using a 1.3-1.5 mum wavelength-division multiplexer. The spectral shift induced by cross-phase modulation between copropagating two-color pulses realizes self-synchronization due to intracavity group-delay dispersion. The rms integration of timing jitter between the fiber laser pulse and the reference pulse was 3.7 fs in a Fourier frequency range from 1 Hz to 100 kHz.     

169 MHz repetition frequency all-fiber passively mode-locked erbium doped fiber laser

Passively mode-locked stretched-pulse erbium fiber laser is presented. With all-fiber configuration 111 fs pulses were achieved with the fundamental repetition rate of 169 MHz and an average output power of more than 30 mW. Proposed setup shows excellent stability, reliability and ‘turn-key’ operation. The impact of the pump power on laser parameters is described.     

Characteristics of wave-breaking-free operation in a passively mode-locked all-fiber ring laser based on AS-Yb-PBGF

A passively mode-locked all-fiber ring laser is constructed based on all-solid Yb-doped photonic bandgap fibers (AS-Yb-PBGF), which provides the laser gain and anomalous dispersion simultaneously. Without any other dispersion compensators, the cavity is simple, compact, and maintenance- and alignment-free. The characteristics of wave-breaking-free operation in the laser are investigated by means of numerical simulations using the split-step Fourier method. The approximately parabolic pulses can be generated and evolved for maintaining the normal group-velocity dispersion intracavity, when the length of the single-mode fiber is between 2 and 4 m. The obtained highest energy of the output pulse is up to 2.27 nJ with the pulse duration of 8.61 ps, corresponding to the time-bandwidth product of 10.05. By dechirping out of cavity, the pulse duration is 0.70 ps.     

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.     

Preparation of carbon nitride film by cryogenic laser processing

Laser irradiation of solid nitrogen containing cyanuric triazide (C₃N₁₂) could generate highly reactive carbon nitride species, NCN and dicyanocarbodiimide. These species were generated in the solid nitrogen at 20 K. After laser photolysis, generated reactive species were concentrated by removal of nitrogen, and converted into a film-like product. Thus, the obtained product was characterized by means of FTIR, SEM, and XPS measurements. The product was assigned to amorphous carbon nitride with relatively high nitrogen content (N/C=0.91.3). PACS 81.15.Fg; 82.33.-z; 68.55.Nq