MoS_2 saturable absorber for single frequency oscillation of highly Yb-doped fiber laser

In this Letter, a single-frequency fiber laser using a molybdenum disulfide(Mo S2) thin film as a saturable absorber is demonstrated. We use a short length of highly Yb-doped fiber as the gain medium and a fiber ferrule with Mo S2 film adhered to it by index matching gel(IMG) that acts as the saturable absorber. The saturable absorber can be used to discriminate and select the single longitudinal modes. The maximum output power of the single-frequency fiber laser is 15.3 m W at a pump power of 130 m W and the slope efficiency is 15.3%. The optical signal-to-noise ratio and the laser linewidths are ～60 d B and 5.89 k Hz, respectively.     

Review on recent progress on mid-infrared fiber lasers

We present review on recent progress on mid-infrared fiber lasers. The relevant glass fiber host materials and different kinds of doped rare-earth ions are introduced. Lasers operating from 1.9 to 3 ??m in the rare-earth ions Tm³⁺, Ho³⁺, Er³⁺, and Dy³⁺ in the recent two years are discussed. Three interesting research issues, i.e., supercontinuum generation based on mid-infrared fiber laser, mid-infrared Raman fiber laser, and coherent beam combining in the mid-infrared wavelength band are classified and analyzed. Some discussions and prospective predictions are proposed at the end of this paper.     

Dispersion measurement of Yb-doped fiber by a spectral interferometric technique

<正>The dispersion of Yb-doped fiber is measured by a spectral interferometric technique.The experimental verification is achieved by comparing the measured data with published data of the Nufern 1060xp fiber and the measurement relative error is 1.36%.The parameters of the experimental system,such as minimum required source bandwidth and minimum fiber length,are introduced and analyzed in the measurement. The minimum required source bandwidth predicted through theoretical calculation at the center wavelength of 1070 nm is 19.3 nm,which perfectly agrees with the experimental value.     

Output power improvement in an Yb-doped fiber laser with an additional unpumped Yb-doped fiber

Master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) technology has been widely used in high-power or ultrashort-pulse fiber laser systems because the shape of the laser pulse can be easily adjusted. Usually, the first amplification stage of a 1064 nm fiber laser uses the core-pumped Yb-doped fiber amplifier (YDFA); however, the gain or output power is limited owing to the strong amplifier spontaneous emission (ASE) in the 1030 nm band. This paper presents the improved output power in an YDFA by inserting an additional unpumped Yb-doped fiber, which absorbs the lost backward ASE emitted from the pump end. We achieved an output power increase of more than 10% in a low-power signal, and the increase in output power decreased as the signal power increased. Moreover, the insertion of an additional unpumped Yb-doped fiber restricted the unwanted 1030 nm lasing in a low-power signal.     

高功率掺镱光纤激光器的辐照影响分析及研究进展

高功率掺镱光纤激光器在空间环境中的应用日益增多,但掺镱光纤材料在空间辐照条件下会产生色心效应,导致损耗增加,影响光纤器件以及激光器整机的性能,从而给高功率光纤激光器在空间环境的长期稳定工作带来隐患。从空间辐照对高功率光纤激光器性能的影响机理、抑制方法和研究进展等3个方面进行介绍。首先介绍了空间辐照对高功率掺镱光纤激光器中关键光学器件、放大级热负载、非线性效应等方面的影响分析,其次介绍了抑制辐照效应的典型方法及其在高功率掺镱光纤激光器中的可行性分析,最后介绍了国内外典型的高功率掺镱光纤激光器的辐照影响及抑制的研究成果,并展望了未来发展趋势。     

Dual-wavelength high-power Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser based on a few-mode fiber Bragg grating

We report a high-power dual-wavelength Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser based on a few-mode fiber Bragg grating (FMFBG). The FMFBG was fabricated by using a piece of fiber in a length of fiber with a cutoff wavelength of 1225 nm, which supported two modes at 1060 nm. The laser was pumped by a fiber pigtailed laser diode working at 915 nm. Single-wavelength, dual-wavelength and triple-wavelength laser oscillations were observed when the fiber laser operated under different low pump powers. However, stable dual-wavelength operation was achieved at higher pump power of 3.9 W and remained unchanged until the output power reached 5.67 W under the maximum available pump power of 10.7 W. The laser wavelengths were centered at 1059.12 and 1060.80 nm with a full-width at half-maximum of 37 and 43 pm, respectively. The signal-to-noise-ratio was greater than 50 dB and the beam quality factor (M²) was about 1.9.     

SPM-induced spectral compression of picosecond pulses in a single-mode Yb-doped fiber amplifier

In a fiber amplifier, spectral compression due to self-phase modulation is demonstrated for ultrashort pulses. We report the generation of near-transform-limited picosecond pulses with peak powers of several kW at a repetition rate of 74 MHz and diffraction-limited beam quality in a Yb-doped fiber amplifier when seeding with a negative chirped pulse. Received: 17 September 2001 / Revised version: 22 November 2001 / Published online: 17 January 2002     

Ultrawide tunable Er soliton fiber laser amplified in Yb-doped fiber

A Raman-shifted and frequency-doubled high-power Er-fiber soliton laser for seeding an efficient high-power Yb fiber femtosecond amplifier is demonstrated. The Raman-shifted and frequency-doubled Er-soliton laser is tunable from 1.00 to 1.070microm and produces bandwidth-limited 24-pJ pulses at a repetition rate of 50 MHz with a FWHM pulse width of 170 fs at 1.040microm . The Yb(3+) amplifier has a slope efficiency of 52% and generates 3-ps linearly chirped pulses with an average power of 0.8 W at 1.05microm . After pulse compression, 74-fs bandwidth-limited pulses with an average power of 0.4 W and a pulse energy of 8 nJ are generated.     

Coherent combining in an Yb-doped double-core fiber laser

Coherent combining is demonstrated in a clad-pumped Yb-doped double-core fiber laser. A slope efficiency of more than 70% is achieved with 96% of the total output power in the fundamental mode of one of the two cores. This high combining efficiency is obtained when both cores are coupled via a biconical fused taper in a Michelson interferometer configuration.     

A linearly-polarized tunable Yb-doped fiber laser using a polarization dependent fiber loop mirror

A Ytterbium-doped linearly-polarized fiber laser is constructed with a polarization maintaining fiber Sagnac loop mirror. The fiber loop mirror made of polarization maintaining fiber coupler has a polarization dependent reflectivity, which provides the necessary polarization discrimination between the slow and fast axes. With a fiber Bragg grating written in normal polarization maintaining fiber as an output coupler, laser output of up to 5.6 W at 1070 nm is generated with a polarization extinction ratio of > 20 dB and an overall efficiency of 55%. The broadband polarization dependent reflection of the fiber loop mirror offers advantages of easy spectral tuning and simple linearly-polarized laser generation.     

Interaction of a parabolic-shaped pulse pair in a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser

We numerically investigate the formation and interaction of a parabolic-shaped pulse pair in a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser. Based on a lumped model, the parabolic-shaped pulse pair is obtained by controlling the intercavity average dispersion and gain saturation energy, Moreover, pulse repulsive and attractive motion are also achieved with different pulse separations. Simulation results show that the phase shift plays an important role in pulse interaction, and the interaction is determined by the inter-cavity average dispersion and gain saturation energy, i.e., the strength of the interaction is proportional to the gain saturation energy, a stronger gain saturation energy will result in a higher interaction intensity. On the contrary, the increase of the inter-cavity dispersion will counterbalance some interaction force. The results also show that the interaction of a parabolic-shaped pulse pair has a larger interaction distance compared to conventional solitons.     

Interaction of parabolic-shaped pulse pair in a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser

We numerically investigate the formation and interaction of parabolic-shaped pulse pair in a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser. Based on a lumped model, the parabolic-shaped pulse pair is obtained by controlling the inter-cavity average dispersion and gain saturation energy, Moreover, pulse repulsive and attractive motion are also achieved with different pulse separations. Simulation results show that the phase shift plays an important role in pulse interaction, and the interaction is determined by the inter-cavity average dispersion and gain saturation energy, i.e., the strength of the interaction is proportional to the gain saturation energy, the stronger gain saturation energy will result in higher interaction intensity. On the contrary, the increase of the inter-cavity dispersion will counterbalance some interaction force. The results also show that the interaction of a parabolic-shaped pulse pair has a larger interaction distance compare to the conventional solitons.     

基于预啁啾管理放大的掺镱锁模光纤激光器

报导了一种采用预啁啾管理放大技术实现的百飞秒级掺镱光纤激光器系统。该系统首先利用非线性偏振旋转技术搭建锁模种子激光,实现重复频率为82.3 MHz、压缩后脉宽接近180 fs的近线性啁啾稳定脉冲序列。种子脉冲通过预放大级和预啁啾管理放大级后获得了平均功率为12 W、压缩后脉宽低于100 fs的脉冲。经过预啁啾管理放大级的压缩后脉冲宽度明显优于种子激光的压缩后脉冲宽度。     

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.     

Binding widely-separated pulses with a passively mode-locked Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser

We have investigated the generation of widely-separated bound pulses with a high power passively mode-locked Yb-doped double clad fiber laser. We report on the emission of bound pulses of 5 ps whose separation can exceed 180 ps. Pulses are further compressed extra-cavity to 140 fs, leading to pulse separations that can reach approximately 1300 pulse widths, while pulses remain bound. Scenarios leading to these regimes are detailed. RF analysis shows an important reduction of the amplitude noise of the laser when pulses bind together. Finally, we report on a new regime of multiple pulse emission of this fiber laser: stable co-emission of a single-pulse and a pair of bound pulses in the same cavity round trip. PACS 42.55.Wd; 42.65.Re     

Frequency doubling of Yb-doped fiber laser to 515 nm

Operation of Yb-doped fiber laser (YDFL) at short wavelengths (about 1030 nm) is known to be possible with relatively short active fibers. Frequency doubling of such a laser is studied. It is shown that, in contrast to conventional YDFLs, operating around 1080 nm, the short-wavelength YDFL does not exhibit significant spectral broadening induced by nonlinear effects. Thus, the generated spectrum remains narrower than the FBG reflection profile, which allows an almost twofold intracavity intensity enhancement. Consequently, the second harmonic generation in the KTP crystal placed inside the YDFL cavity appears more effective than the generation in the single-pass scheme by an order of magnitude. An output power of about 0.4 W at a wavelength of 515 nm is demonstrated.     

Investigations of Yb-doped optical fiber using selective laser excitation

The method of tunable site-selective laser excitation was used for a study of the spectral and fluorescence characteristics of Yb³⁺ optical centers in laser optical fiber. Decay curves and positions of fluorescence spectra maxima at different wavelengths of selective laser excitation and positions of excitation spectra maxima at different fluorescence selective registration provide new information on lifetimes and Stark energy distribution among inhomogeneously broadened Yb³⁺ lines. The obtained Stark splitting energy distribution diagram demonstrates the tuneability of Yb³⁺ laser oscillation wavelength under tunable excitation of a pump laser.     

Threshold characteristics of linear cavity Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser

The threshold characteristics of linear cavity Yb³⁺-doped double-clad fiber laser have been studied theoretically and experimentally. By solving rate equations, the expression for threshold pump power is obtained. The effects of fiber length, mirror reflectivity, pump wavelength, laser wavelength and Yb³⁺ concentration on threshold pump power are discussed. Then, the Yb³⁺-doped double-clad fiber laser with linear cavity is developed. By using various output couplers, threshold pump power has been measured. The experimental results are in accord with theory.     

Experimental study of pulse compression in a side-pumped Yb-doped double-clad mode-locked fiber laser

We have developed a side-pumped passively mode-locked Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser emitting sub-picosecond pulses at around 1.05 μm. Mode locking is achieved through a polarization additive-pulse mode-locking technique and compression is obtained with a grating pair inserted in the cavity. We have investigated the compression properties of this laser. High-energy pulses are emitted and different behaviors are observed, such as sideband generation, secant-like or Gaussian-like pulse emission. Received: 7 May 2001 / Revised version: 13 November 2001 / Published online: 17 January 2002     

Linearly polarized operation of Yb-doped fiber laser by Brewster's angle-polished fiber end

<正>A new method to obtain linear polarization operation by Brewster's angle-polished fiber end is demonstrated. By using the special polarization operation technique together with introducing a narrow-linewidth fiber grating into the laser cavity,a cladding-pumped linear polarization and single-transverse-mode (M~21.1) Yb-doped fiber laser with narrow linewidth whose full-width at half-maximm(FWHM) is less than 0.2 nm,is obtained in a simple configuration.The output power is up to 10 W which is continuouswave output at 1085 nm,and the slope efficiency is 63%with respect to the coupled pump power and 75%with respect to the absorbed pump power,respectively.The measured 21-dB polarization extinction ratio does not degrade with the output power.The simplicity of such an approach is highly beneficial for a number of applications,including the use of a fiber laser for the nonlinear wavelength conversion (especially for the intracavity frequency doubling) and for the coherent and spectral beam combination.