Photonic generation of microwave signal using a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode distributed Bragg reflector fiber laser

In this paper, a novel all-optical microwave generation technique based on a dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. By exploiting spatial hole burning (SHB) effect, this laser could provide stable dual-wavelength SLM operation with a wavelength separation of 0.088 nm corresponding to the microwave signal at 10.484 GHz with a 3 dB bandwidth of 28 kHz. By appropriately adjusting the pump power, dual-wavelength oscillation could be maintained at different temperatures. We have theoretically analyzed the mechanism for microwave generation of the proposed DBR laser, and the calculated microwave frequency is in good agreement with our experimental results. Furthermore, experimental observation shows both of the laser wavelengths and generated microwave signals have good stability at room temperature.     

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.     

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.     

Actively mode-locked dual-wavelength fiber laser with close wavelength spacing using a fiber Bragg grating

A simple actively mode-locked fiber ring laser is proposed and successfully demonstrated to generate dual-wavelength picosecond pulses with close wavelength spacing using one Bragg grating in standard single-mode fiber. The proposed laser can be made to operate in stable dual-wavelength at room temperature, due to the birefringence characteristic of the FBG induced by transverse strain. Transverse strain loading on the FBG allows the wavelength spacing to be controlled. Generation of stable dual-wavelength pulses with a pulsewidth of 212–234 ps and a tunable wavelength separation from 0.2 to 0.44 nm at a pulse rate of 1.05 GHz was demonstrated.     

C-band continuously tunable lasers using tunable fiber Bragg gratings

We report the development of a ring tunable fiber laser based on tunable fiber Bragg gratings (TFBG) integrated with an optical circulator. The TFBG is embedded inside a 3-piont bending device for wavelength tuning. The tunable laser operating in the C-band has power variation, tuning resolution, tuning range and laser line width of ±0.5 dB, 0.5 nm, 25.0 nm and less than 0.05 nm, respectively. As 40 mW of pump power is used, the ring tunable laser has a side mode suppression ratio of 60 dB and a power conversion efficiency of 25%. These specifications ensure the high-quality operation of a tunable laser.     

Tunable multi-wavelength combined linear-cavity fiber laser source with equally changed wavelength spacing

A tunable multi-wavelength combined linear-cavity fiber laser source with equally changed wavelength spacing is proposed for the first time. The wavelength tuning is realized by stretching or compressing the fiber Bragg gratings incorporated in the laser cavity. To ensure a wavelength tuning with equally increased or decreased wavelength spacing, the gratings are mounted onto a plastic plate with angles between adjacent gratings such that the forces applied to the gratings has an equal force increment. A four-wavelength lasing with equal increased or decreased wavelength spacing is achieved experimentally.     

Photonic generation of a microwave signal by employing a microfiber ring resonator

A novel approach to generate microwave signals is presented by employing a microfiber ring resonator. The microfiber ring resonator is assembled with a microfiber fabricated by heating and drawing standard single-mode fiber. By cascading microfiber ring resonator acted as a comb filter with a tunable bandpass filter, a wavelength-tunable dual-wavelength single longitudinal-mode laser is achieved. A microwave signal at 15.57 GHz with the linewidth of less than 21 kHz is demonstrated by beating the two wavelengths at a photodetector.     

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.     

Wavelength tunability of L-band fiber ring lasers using mechanically induced long-period fiber gratings

We report on oscillation wavelength control in erbium-doped fiber ring lasers by adjusting the period of a mechanically induced long-period fiber grating (LPFG) inserted into the fiber ring resonator. Pump light is provided by a 974 nm laser diode (LD), the emission of which is coupled into the fiber ring resonator through a wavelength-division multiplexing coupler. Laser oscillation occurs with a threshold pump LD current of 40 mA, corresponding to a threshold pump power of 5 mW. When a periodic pressure of 0.81 N/mm is applied to form the LPFG, the fiber ring laser exhibits the tunable range of 40.9 nm, i.e., from 1563.1 to 1604 nm, by changing the grating period.     

Photonic instantaneous measurement of microwave frequency using fiber Bragg grating

A photonic approach to realizing instantaneous measurement of microwave frequency based on optical monitoring using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed and demonstrated. In the approach, a frequency-unknown microwave signal is modulated on an optical carrier in a Mach-Zehnder modulator biased at the minimum transmission point. After detecting the transmission and reflection optical powers at the output of the FBG, the microwave frequency can be determined according to the value of transmission-to-reflection power ratio, due to the fixed relationship between the microwave frequency and the power ratio. A proof-of-concept experiment has been performed, which demonstrates that a measurement resolution of ±0.08 GHz over a 10 GHz measurement bandwidth is achieved. The measurement performance in terms of resolution is better than previously reported results.     

Tunable dual-wavelength fiber laser based on a single fiber Bragg grating in a Sagnac loop interferometer

We propose a simple dual-wavelength Er-doped fiber laser configuration based on a dual-wavelength fiber Bragg grating written on the splice joint between two different fibers for wavelength-selective filter in the Sagnac loop interferometer. The wavelength separation between the adjacent lasing wavelengths is 1.12 nm and the side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is over 55 dB. The output power variation is less than 0.8 dB over a two-minute period. Moreover, the lasing wavelength can be effectively tuned using the thermal heating method.     

基于DFB激光器的光学微波信号的产生

采用量子阱混杂的材料集成技术制备并联分布反馈激光器和Y形波导耦合器集成的新型光电器件.两个并联分布反馈激光器的激射模式在频率上稍有差别,这两束不同频率的激光在Y形波导耦合器拍频产生光学微波信号.分别独立调节注入到两个激光器的电流大小,可以得到从13 GHz到42 GHz连续可调的光学微波信号. 关键词： 光学微波信号生成 分布反馈激光器 Y形波导 拍频     

Optical microwave generation using two parallel DFB lasers integrated with Y-branch waveguide coupler

A new device of two parallel distributed feedback (DFB) lasers integrated monolithically with Y-branch waveguide coupler was fabricated by means of quantum well intermixing. Optical microwave signal was generated in the Y-branch waveguide coupler through frequency beating of the two laser modes coming from two DFB laser in parallel, which had a small difference in frequency. Continuous rapid tuning of optical microwave signal from 13 to 42GHz were realized by adjusting independently the driving currents injected into the two DFB lasers.     

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.     

大模面积双包层光纤激光频谱组束的实验效果

基于透射体布拉格光栅频谱组束的设计方案,采用半导体激光器作为泵浦源,以大模面积双包层Er3+/Yb3+共掺光纤为增益介质,报道了两束光纤激光频谱组束的实验结果。在两束光纤激光输出功率分别为0.39和0.53 W、光栅实际衍射效率不到60%的情况下,实现了组束功率为0.64 W、绝对组束效率高达69.6%的组束激光输出,并分析了实验过程中影响组束效率的因素。     

Single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber laser with the fiber-Bragg-grating-based asymmetric two-cavity structure

We present a simple and stable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) erbium-doped fiber linear-type laser. It consists of three FBGs directly written in a photosensitive erbium-doped fiber (PEDF) to form asymmetric two cavities with different cavity lengths, which can effectively increase the longitudinal mode spacing and suppress mode hopping, experimentally compared with symmetric two cavities and single-cavity structures. The stable SLM operation is conveniently achieved without accurate control of cavity length, and the laser linewidth of less than 5 kHz is acquired.     

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.     

Stability performance of short cavity Er-doped fiber lasers

An experimental study of stability between two types of short-cavity laser configurations is carried out. The short-cavity lasers are comprised of one or two pairs of wavelength-matched FBGs, encompassing a short length of highly-doped Er-fiber, to create effectively single- or dual-wavelength fiber lasers. The laser performance in terms of the laser output power and laser stability in relation to the gain medium length was investigated experimentally, analyzed and reported in this letter.     

Numerical analysis of multi-wavelength cascaded Raman fiber lasers based on genetic algorithm

A novel numerical method is presented for the calculations of the coupled propagation equations in multi-wavelength Raman fiber lasers. By taking the advantages of genetic algorithm and shooting method, only a few of the best individuals at each generation are chosen to implement several shootings in order to accelerate theirs converging. The output characteristics of an all-fiber three-wavelength Raman fiber laser have been analyzed based on the proposed algorithm. Results show that the total output power linearly depends on the pump power with a slope efficiency of ∼51%. For the three output Stokes, the slope efficiencies of the longer wavelengths are larger than that of the shorter ones because the optical energy at the Stokes with shorter wavelengths allows for a transfer of optical power to the longer Stokes via stimulated Raman scattering. We also find that the total output power degrades by less than 10% by adjusting the output-coupler reflectivity and is insensitive to the variation of the Raman fiber length over a large range.