Generation of high-energy pulses from an all-normal-dispersion figure-8 fiber laser

We propose and study numerically an all-normal-dispersion Ytterbium-doped figure-eight fiber laser scheme for generation of high-energy pulses. The monotonous pulse stretching that takes place in the fiber under the combined actions of normal dispersion and nonlinear Kerr effect is compensated by the amplitude modulation effect of a bandpass filter inserted in the ring section of the laser. The Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM) also contributes to shorten the pulses. An output coupler with a large output coupling ratio is inserted at the amplifier output in order to extract the maximal energy from the laser. A short segment of Ytterbium-doped fiber compensates for the losses. Stable single-pulse operation is predicted over a wide range of values of the laser parameters. If the laser parameters (ring and NOLM length, dispersion, filter bandwidth, output coupling ratio) are optimized, pulses with several tens of nanojoules energy are readily obtained, with picosecond duration and a large positive chirp which is linear near the peak. If small-signal gain is large enough, the use of very large output coupling ratios opens the way to pulse energies close to 100 nJ and, after dechirping outside the laser, to durations of ˜50 fs and peak powers of 1 MW.     

氧化石墨烯被动锁模掺镱光纤激光器多脉冲现象的实验研究

利用氧化石墨烯作为可饱和吸收体,在被动锁模全正常色散掺镱光纤激光器中研究了多脉冲的现象,在同一抽运功率不同偏振态下,实验获得了矩形脉冲谐波锁模、耗散孤子谐波锁模、准谐波锁模,脉冲峰值周期性调制,脉冲簇、脉冲束、混沌多重脉冲的多脉冲现象,插入激光腔内的2nm窄带滤波器具有限制增益带宽、对脉冲塑形、诱导多脉冲产生的作用,调节偏振控制器相当于改变腔内增益,是实现不同类型多脉冲现象的主要原因,本实验研究有利于加深对多脉冲动力学行为在正常色散区域氧化石墨烯锁模掺镱光纤激光器中的理解。     

8字形主被动锁模掺Er3+光纤激光器

在理论上分析了利用非线性光学环形镜作为等效可饱和吸收体压缩脉冲进行锁模的物理机制。利用8字形主被动混合锁模的结构在调制频率2．498749GHz下，在1．543μm处获得了12ps的锁模脉冲输出，对应谱宽0．22nm，时间脉宽积0．33。在抽运功率50mW情况下，输出脉冲平均功率3．715mW。在调制频率2．499344GHz、2．499114GHz和2．498999GHz时分别并获得了2～4阶幅度较为均衡的有理数谐波锁模脉冲序列。     

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.     

Photonic generation of frequency-switchable microwave signals exploiting polarization-induced spectrum splitting in fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot filters

Frequency-switchable microwave signals are optically generated using a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber ring laser. The splitting of the resonance peak is observed in fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot (F-P) filters depending on the injected light polarization states. Choosing two different resonance peaks of the grating-based F-P filter and using a variable saturable absorber formed by a section of incompletely transparent erbium-doped fiber, wavelength-switchable dual-wavelength single longitudinal-mode operation is achieved in the fiber ring laser. Microwave frequency switched among 8.75, 21.25 and 25.4 GHz is implemented by feeding the output laser to a high-speed photodetector.     

Environmentally stable all-normal-dispersion femtosecond fiber laser

We demonstrate a mode-locked all-normal-dispersion ytterbium-doped fiber laser constructed with polarization-maintaining fibers. Spectral filtering of a chirped pulse in the cavity, along with a semiconductor saturable absorber, produce self-starting femtosecond mode-locked operation with large normal dispersion. Environmentally stable generation of 2 nJ and 300 fs pulses is achieved.     

Experimental Study of a Pulsed Ytterbium-Doped Fibre Laser with Fast and Slow Saturable Absorbers in a Linear Cavity

We present a linear-cavity stretched-pulse fibre laser and by semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors. A with mode locking by a nonlinear polarization rotation Q-switched mode-locking cw train and a mode-locking pulse train are obtained in the experiment. We investigate the effects of the equivalent fast saturable absorber and the slow saturable absorbers in experiment. It is found that neither the nonlinear polarization evolution effect nor a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror is enough to produce the stable cw mode-locking pulses in this experiment. A nonlinear polarization evolution effect controls the cavity loss to literally carve the pulses; semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors provide the self-restarting and maintain the stability of the modelocking operation.     

Controllable dissipative soliton and Q-switched pulse emission in a normal dispersion fiber laser using SESAM and cavity loss tuning mechanism

We report on the controllable generation of the dissipative soliton and the Q-switched pulse in a normal dispersion fiber ring laser. The hybrid saturable absorber is used to obtain the dissipative soliton or the Q-switched pulse by slightly adjusting the polarization controller. Based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis, the controllable dissipative soliton and Q-switched pulse emission can be induced by the cavity loss tuning mechanism of the fiber laser.     

The passively mode locked and dispersion compensated Rhodamine 110 dye laser

The passive mode locking of a CW Rhodamine 110 dye laser in various dispersion compensated cavities is reported. Using the dye 1, 1, 3, 3, 3', 3'-hexamethylindocarbocyanine iodide (HICI) as the saturable absorber, pulses as short as 80 fs have been obtained from a CPM ring laser operating at a wavelength of 581 nm.     

有理数谐波主被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器

在理论上详细分析了利用非线性光学环形镜（NOLM）来减小输出脉冲幅度波动,消除噪声并对脉冲进行压缩整形的物理机制。在主动锁模掺铒光纤环形激光器中（AHML－EDFL）接入一个非线性光学环形镜,形成结构新颖的主被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器（APHML－EDFL）,利用非线性光学环形镜所具有的饱和吸收体功能,成功地制抑了4阶有理数谐波锁模（RHML）中较大的幅度噪声,在1GHz量级的调制频率下,由主被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器获产生重复频率为5．1GHz,幅度相当稳定的4阶有理数谐波锁模脉冲序列。     

Harmonic Mode-Locked Ytterbium-Doped Fibre Ring Laser

We demonstrate a harmonic mode-locked ytterbium-doped fibre ring laser, which consists of a polarization-sensitive isolator, two polarization controllers, two 976nm laser diodes as the pump source and a two-segment ytterbium-doped fibre. Utilizing an additive pulse mode-locked technique based on nonlinear polarization evolution, the ytterbium-doped fibre laser can operate in mode-locked state by adjusting the position of polarization controllers. The cavity fundamental repetition rate is 23.78 MHz. We also observe the second- and third-harmonic mode locking in the normal dispersion region, and their repetition rates are 47.66 MHz and 71.56 MHz, respectively. Over-driving of the saturable absorber in the harmonic mode-locking pulse is analysed and discussed in detail.     

Passively Q-switched mode-locking Erbium-doped fiber laser with net-normal dispersion using nonlinear polarization rotation technique

We experimentally demonstrate a passively Q-switched mode-locking (QML) operation in an Erbium-doped fiber ring laser with net normal dispersion by using nonlinear polarization rotation technique. A 2 m long section of dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) with extra large positive dispersion was inserted into the cavity to ensure the fiber laser working in the region of net positive dispersion. By carefully adjusting the polarization controller, both uniform dissipative mode-locking pulses with fundamental repetition rate and QML pulse trains with tunable repetition rate from 71.58 to 98.83 kHz are achieved. It is found that the QML operation is caused by the interaction between the polarization state of the pulse and the intracavity polarizer.     

Dual-Wavelength Erbium-Doped Fibre Ring Laser by Cascading Tunable Bandpass Filter with Bandstop Filter

A novel fibre ring laser is proposed and successfully demonstrated. By cascading a tunable bandpass filter with a bandstop filter to construct the desired narrow dual-transmission-peak spectrum, and employing a segment of unpumped erbium-doped fibre as a saturable absorber, a stable fibre ring laser is achieved at room temperature. The proposed laser can operate in dual-wavelength with the wavelength spacing of 0.48 nm and the extinction ratio more than 50 dB or switch between the two wavelengths by adjusting a polarization controller. The stability is investigated experimentally and explained theoretically.     

Generation of domain-wall solitons in an anomalous dispersion fiber ring laser

We report experimental observations performed using a net anomalous dispersion Er-doped fiber ring laser without polarization-selective elements, highlighting the domain-wall solitary pulses generated under the incoherent polarization coupling. By adjusting the pump power and the polarization state appropriately, bright and dark solitons can stably co-exist in the cavity, both centered at 1562.16 nm with a 3-dB spectral width of ～ 0.15 nm and a repetition rate of 3.83 MHz. Moreover, the 0.8 mm long thulium-doped fiber (TDF) facilitated the mode-locking and self-starting of the laser. This is the first demonstration of a laser being used to generate bright and dark solitons synchronously while using TDF as the saturable absorber (SA). Except possessing the all-fiber structure, the laser exhibits good stability, which may have a significant influence on improvement of the pulse-laser design, and may broaden practical applications in optical sensing, optical communication, and soliton multiplexed systems.     

Rational harmonic figure-eight actively-passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser

The nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) is used as a saturable absorbed to reshape pulses. Experimentally, an actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber ring laser with figure-eight structure is set up. 2 - 4 order harmonic pulse train with stable amplitude has been obtained when the RF modulation frequency is about 2.5 GHz.     

基于混合锁模的耗散孤子掺铒光纤激光器

从一种简单、全光纤结构的混合被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器中,得到了高稳定性、宽光谱的耗散孤子。激光器结合了半导体可饱和吸收体和非线性偏振旋转两种锁模机制,并运行在正常色散区内;通过色散管理,激光器能产生光谱宽度39.1 nm和时域宽度178 fs的孤子脉冲序列。激光输出的中心波长为1.55μm,重复频率约为34.3 MHz,单脉冲能量在0.33 nJ左右。与此同时,激光器的斜效率也约等于15.5%;室温工作下,激光器能实现自启动锁模,且运行在稳定单脉冲输出状态的时长在15 h以上。     

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.     

滤波对8字腔掺铒光纤激光器锁模运转的影响

构建了基于损耗非对称非线性光学环镜的8字腔掺铒光纤锁模激光器,并讨论了腔内滤波带宽对腔内脉冲演化和激光器输出特性的影响.在非线性光学环镜中引入双向输出耦合器,耦合器和传输光纤位置的不对称产生非互易性,实现锁模运转.利用自制的可调谐滤波器实验研究了滤波带宽对激光器的影响.当滤波带宽为2.1 nm时,腔内脉冲的演化过程受滤波和孤子效应的共同作用,激光器顺时针和逆时针输出脉冲半高全宽分别为583.7fs和2.94 ps.随着滤波带宽增大,滤波的作用逐渐减弱,激光器两路输出脉冲参数逐渐接近,并接近傅里叶变换极限脉冲.当滤波带宽较大时,腔内脉冲的演化过程受增益谱和孤子效应的共同作用,激光器顺时针和逆时针输出脉冲均为变换极限脉冲,半高全宽约为440 fs.通过调节滤波器中心波长实现了对激光器输出脉冲光谱的连续调谐,调节范围大于30 nm.     

Dynamic control of the operation regimes of a mode-locked fiber laser based on intracavity polarizing fibers: experimental and theoretical validation

An intracavity polarizing fiber is proposed to control the emission regime of a passively mode-locked fiber laser. Stable operation in self-starting high and low dispersion soliton mode-locking and 100 GHz multiwavelength regimes is demonstrated through numerical simulations and experimental validation. Mode-locking stability is ensured by a saturable absorber in the ring cavity. The effective selection of operation regime is dynamically carried out by controlling the intracavity polarization state.     

基于非线性偏振旋转锁模的高功率光子晶体光纤飞秒激光振荡器

为了探索大模场面积光子晶体光纤锁模激光器在全正色散锁模域内的耗散孤子锁模机理, 以获得更大的单脉冲能量和更高的峰值功率, 本文搭建了以掺镱大模场面积光子晶体光纤作为增益介质的耗散孤子锁模激光器. 激光器使用环形腔结构, 利用非线性偏振旋转以及滤光片提供的耗散作用实现了稳定的锁模运转. 实验中, 从激光器振荡级直接获得了平均功率10 W, 重复频率49.09 MHz(对应202 nJ的单脉冲能量), 脉冲宽度为1.03 ps的稳定锁模脉冲输出, 经过腔外色散补偿得到的脉冲宽度为95.5 fs.