Investigation of passively mode-locked erbium doped fiber ring laser due to nonlinear polarization rotation

Passively mode-locked erbium doped fiber ring laser was investigated. We present optimization of laser configuration where nonlinear polarization rotation was used for modes synchronization. Simulations of pulse propagation inside a laser cavity were applied in order to confirm the optimisation technique. Experimental results are presented and more than 32-nm spectral width of the output frequency comb was obtained.     

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。     

10 GHz passive harmonic mode-locking in Er-Yb double-clad fiber laser

In this paper we report passive harmonic mode-locking of an Erbium/Ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber laser with repetition rates up to 10 GHz. The modes synchronization was obtained using Nonlinear Polarization Rotation mechanism. The stable operation at 634th harmonic of the fundamental (15.8 MHz) repetition frequency was achieved. Soliton pulses with the duration of less than 900 fs and 300 mW average output power were obtained.     

超低频率全正色散半导体可饱和吸收镜被动锁模光纤激光器

通过延长激光器环形腔腔长,利用高浓度掺杂的单模掺镱光纤,搭建了超低重复频率、全正色散结构的半导体可饱和吸收镜被动锁模光纤激光器。激光器的中心波长、重复频率、平均功率及单脉冲能量分别为1 064 nm,281.5 kHz,11 mW和39 nJ。为了稳定中心波长,实现自启动,激光器腔体内接入了一个带通滤波器。该激光器运行稳定,无调Q不稳定现象,极大减小了半导体可饱和吸收镜被损坏的机会。     

超低频率全正色散半导体可饱和吸收镜被动锁模光纤激光器

 通过延长激光器环形腔腔长,利用高浓度掺杂的单模掺镱光纤,搭建了超低重复频率、全正色散结构的半导体可饱和吸收镜被动锁模光纤激光器。激光器的中心波长、重复频率、平均功率及单脉冲能量分别为1 064 nm,281.5 kHz,11 mW和39 nJ。为了稳定中心波长,实现自启动,激光器腔体内接入了一个带通滤波器。该激光器运行稳定,无调Q不稳定现象,极大减小了半导体可饱和吸收镜被损坏的机会。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

被动锁模Yb3+光纤环形腔激光器的研究

 采用974 nm半导体激光器作为泵浦源，超高掺杂Yb³⁺光纤作为增益介质，利用光纤的非线性偏振旋转效应，得到稳定的ps量级锁模光脉冲。泵浦功率220 mW时，激光器锁模阈值功率150 mW，输出功率26 mW，锁模光脉冲中心波长1 046 nm，3 dB带宽6.01 nm，20 dB带宽16 nm，脉宽22 ps，重复频率20 MHz。与同类光纤激光器相比，该激光器输出功率高，具有更好的稳定性。     

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.     

Bound soliton pulses in passively mode-locked fiber laser

A passively mode-locked soliton fiber ring laser was successfully demonstrated, and bound soliton pulses with an FWHM pulsewidth of 326 fs and fixed separation of 938 fs were first observed. The number of bound soliton pairs in the cavity can be controlled under lower pump power. The transmission effects were investigated by injecting bound soliton pulses into a single mode fiber.     

Carbon monoxide laser emitting nanosecond pulses with 10 MHz repetition rate

Actively mode-locked electron-beam-sustained-discharge CO laser producing a train of ∼5-15 ns (FWHM) spikes following with repetition rate 10 MHz for both single-line and multiline mode of operation in the mid-IR range of ∼5 μm was experimentally studied. Total laser pulse duration was ∼0.5 ms for both mode-locked and free-running laser. Specific output energy in multiline CO laser mode of operation was up to 20 Jl⁻¹ Amagat⁻¹ and the laser efficiency up to 3.5%. The active mode-locking was achieved for single-line CO laser mode of operation in spectral range 5.2-5.3 μm. This sort of radiation can be used for pumping an optical parametric amplifier for optical stochastic cooling in relativistic heavy ion collider, for laser ablation, and for studying vibrational and rotational relaxation of CO and NO molecules.     

Linewidth analysis of 40-GHz passively mode-locked multi-mode semiconductor lasers

An experimental analysis on the quality of 40-GHz radio-frequency signals generated by various passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers is addressed. The analysis is performed considering the frequency linewidth of 40-GHz optically generated signals and the number of longitudinal modes selected by the cavity of each laser under study. Four of these devices are multi-quantum wells InAlGaAs Fabry-Pérot lasers. They have been engineered to exhibit a specific number of longitudinal modes: 4, 5, 10, and 22 modes, respectively. Another device under test is a bulk distributed Bragg reflector laser exhibiting 3 lasing modes. The last device under study is a quantum-dash Fabry-Pérot laser characterized by 40 lasing modes. From our experimental results it appears that, regardless the nature of the device cavity and active media, the strength of the passively mode-locked mechanism might be enhanced with the number of longitudinal modes oscillating into the laser cavity, allowing a reduction in the frequency linewidth.     

Characterization of 60 GHz Multi Quantum well passively mode-locked laser under optical self-injection locking

The quality and pulse compression of the 60 GHz millimeter wave signals generated by 750 μm long InAlGaAs Multi Quantum Well (MQW) passively mode locked laser under free running and optical self-injection locked conditions are experimentally characterized in terms of longitudinal modes under certain bias currents that range from 24 mA to 90 mA. Initially, the MQW laser is characterized in free running condition with no external injection. The measurements reflect that the free spectral range of laser under test is around 61 GHz and exhibit more than 22 lasing modes. The laser is then integrated into low phase noise self-injection locking oscillator by feeding a part of output RF signal back into the laser cavity to enhance passive mode locking. By doing so the microwave line width of our laser is reduced from 900 kHz to 24 kHz with significant increase in output of resultant beat tones which exhibits strong passive mode locking. This is the first time that the free running microwave line width of MQW laser is reduced up to this level. It is evident from our experimental investigation that as we increase the power and phase correlation between different longitudinal modes inside laser cavity through optical self-injection, the strength of the passively mode locked mechanism is significantly increased and the phase noise of radio frequency signal is drastically reduced.     

Controlling the frequency of the frequency-shifted feedback fiber laser using injection-seeding technique

In this paper we describe the stabilization of the optical frequency comb (OFC) generated by the frequency-shifted feedback (FSF) erbium fiber laser. Frequency of the comb is controlled using the distributed feedback laser diode seeded into the cavity of the FSF laser. When the DFB diode is stabilized to the molecular absorption line of hydrogen cyanide frequency stabilized OFC is obtained.     

Tunable 12×10 GHz mode-locked semiconductor fiber laser incorporating a Mach-Zehnder interferometer filter

A stable multiwavelength mode-locked semiconductor fiber ring laser incorporating a fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) filter was proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) serves as an optically controlled mode-locking element due to gain exhaustion caused by external injected optical pulses. Another SOA severs as a constant-gain medium. A fiber MZI filter with a temperature control is incorporated into the fiber ring cavity to acquire a stable and tunable multiwavelength oscillation. Twelve wavelengths are synchronously mode-locked at 10 GHz, pulse width of mode-locked pulse are about 30 ps. Proposed multiwavelength mode-locked semiconductor fiber ring laser has some distinct advantages, such as simple and compact structure, easy integration, convenient tuning, good stability, potential high repetition rate operating, which has potential application in the future WDM communication system.     

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.     

被动谐波锁模掺Yb3+光纤环形激光器

 利用光纤的非线性偏振旋转效应产生可饱和吸收体的锁模机制，从掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器中得到稳定高阶谐波锁模光脉冲。理论分析了工作于正色散区的掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器的特性。实验中观测到了掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器3种不同演化方式产生高阶锁模光脉冲。4阶谐波锁模脉冲（107.2 MHz重复频率）经过1 m长高掺杂Yb³⁺光纤放大器放大后产生了平均功率100 mW，脉宽22.8 ps的脉冲，最后经过光栅压缩得到了平均输出功率20 mW，脉宽307 fs，脉冲中心波长1 051.2 nm，带宽13.76 nm的激光。     

Soliton shaping of dispersive waves in a passively mode-locked fibre soliton ring laser

We have studied the mechanism of soliton formation in a passively mode-locked fibre ring laser when the gain is increased. We show experimentally that new soliton pulses in the laser are generated by soliton shaping of dispersive waves. Our observation is further confirmed by numerical simulations where an improved model is used that takes into account explicitly the polarization dispersion effect and discrete saturable absorber effect.     

Periodic intensity variations on the pulse-train of a passively mode-locked fiber ring laser

We investigate the evolvement of the periodic intensity variations of the pulse-train in a fiber ring laser mode-locked by the nonlinear polarization rotation technique. It is found that the phenomenon of such intensity fluctuations is related to the orientation of the polarization controllers when the pump power is fixed. The numerical results show that the mechanism of the periodic intensity variations is caused by the interaction of the nonlinear polarization rotation and the passive polarizer in the cavity.