Environmentally stable picosecond ytterbium fiber laser with a broad tuning range

Modelocking of a frequency-shifted feedback laser triggered by amplitude modulation

We report an experimental technique to trigger modelocking (ML) emission in frequency-shifted feedback (FSF) lasers. These lasers feature an intracavity modulator driven by a radio frequency tone, which shifts the light spectrum every cavity round trip. The technique consists of the drive of the modulator with a second tone at the cavity free spectral range (FSR) frequency. So, in addition to the frequency shift, a weak amplitude modulation (AM) appears synchronous with the cavity round trip time. The approach is successful as FSF cavities support chirped modes evenly spaced by the FSR, whose AM coupling produces convenient seed pulses for the ML onset. This results in ML emission at arbitrary frequency shifts and initiation thresholds lower than in standard, spontaneous FSF laser ML. Simulations indicate that the role of AM is to trigger the formation of ML pulses, but the primary mechanism of pulse buildup is the Kerr effect. The technique opens a new, to the best of our knowledge, practical route to initiate ML emission in FSF lasers.

Wavelength tunable ultrafast fiber laser via reflective mirror with taper structure

Laser sources with a controllable flexible wavelength have found widespread applications in optical fiber communication, optical sensing, and microscopy. Here, we report a tunable mode-locked fiber laser using a graphene-based saturable absorber and a tapered mirror as an end mirror in the cavity. The phase layer in the mirror is precisely etched by focused ion beam (FIB) milling technology, and the resonant wavelength of the mirror shifts correspond to the different etch depths. By scanning the tapered mirror mechanically, the center wavelength of a mode-locked fiber laser can be continuously tuned from 1562 to 1532 nm, with a pulse width in the sub-ps level and repetition rate of 27 MHz.

Diversified pulse generation from frequency shifted feedback Tm-doped fibre lasers

Pulsed fibre lasers operating in the eye-safe 2 μm spectral region have numerous potential applications in areas such as remote sensing, medicine, mid-infrared frequency conversion, and free-space communication. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate versatile 2 μm ps-ns pulses generation from Tm-based fibre lasers based on frequency shifted feedback and provide a comprehensive report of their special behaviors. The lasers are featured with elegant construction and the unparalleled capacity of generating versatile pulses. The self-starting mode-locking is initiated by an intra-cavity acousto-optical frequency shifter. Diversified mode-locked pulse dynamics were observed by altering the pump power, intra-cavity polarization state and cavity structure, including as short as 8 ps single pulse sequence, pulse bundle state and up to 12 nJ, 3 ns nanosecond rectangular pulse. A reflective nonlinear optical loop mirror was introduced to successfully shorten the pulses from 24 ps to 8 ps. Beside the mode-locking operation, flexible Q-switching and Q-switched mode-locking operation can also be readily achieved in the same cavity. Up to 78 μJ high energy nanosecond pulse can be generated in this regime. Several intriguing pulse dynamics are characterized and discussed.

Mode-locked picosecond pulse generation from an octave-spanning supercontinuum

We generate mode-locked picosecond pulses near 1110 nm by spectrally slicing and reamplifying an octave-spanning supercontinuum source pumped at 1550 nm. The 1110 nm pulses are near transform-limited, with 1.7 ps duration over their 1.2 nm bandwidth, and exhibit high interpulse coherence. Both the supercontinuum source and the pulse synthesis system are implemented completely in fiber. The versatile source construction suggests that pulse synthesis from sliced supercontinuum may be a useful technique across the 1000 - 2000 nm wavelength range.

Widely tunable, narrow-linewidth, subnanosecond pulse generation in an electronically tuned Ti:sapphire laser

Widely tunable subnanosecond Ti:sapphire laser radiation pumped with a cw Q -switched laser-diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser has been demonstrated in a simple laser system with a configuration of variable cavity length. Laser wavelengths can be continuously tuned by adjustment of the rf of an intracavity acousto-optic tunable filter with a computer through the whole range of the laser gain. During tuning of the whole spectral range, there is no need to realign any optics in the laser, except for moving the mirror to track the change of the rf. The peak powers of the output pulses at a pump level of 300 mW are comparable with those of conventional tunable picosecond Ti:sapphire lasers at a cw pump level of almost 10 W.

Multiwavelength picosecond frequency-shifted feedback laser with pulse control by a shaped-gain fiber amplifier

Stable generation of multiwavelength picosecond pulses by a frequency-shifted laser is demonstrated. Pulses are reliably trapped by gain variations provided by a low-extinction transmission filter. Pulses with close parameters are obtained despite considerable difference in amplifier gain at the pulse train wavelengths owing to a strong gain-equalization mechanism provided by the frequency-shifted feedback.