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 976 nm 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.

Broadly tunable SOA-based active mode-locked fibre ring laser by forward injection optical pulse

We present a broadly tunable active mode- locked. bre ring laser based on a semiconductor optical ampli. er ( SOA), with forward injection optical pulses. The laser can generate pulse sequence with pulsewidth about 12 ps and high output power up to 8.56dBm at 2.5 GHz stably. Incorporated with a wavelength- tunable optical bandpass. lter, the pulse laser can operate with a broad wavelength tunable span up to 37nm with almost constant pulsewidth. A detailed experimental analysis is also carried out to investigate the relationship between the power of the internal cavity and the pulsewidth of the output pulse sequence. The experimental con. guration of the pulse laser is very simple and easy to setup with no polarization- sensitive components.

SOA-based actively mode-locked fiber ring laser by forward injecting an external pulse train

An actively mode-locked fiber ring laser based on cross-gain modulation (XGM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is demonstrated to operate stably with a simple configuration. By forward injecting an easily-generated external pulse train, the mode-locked fiber laser can generate an optical-pulse sequence with pulsewidth about 6 ps and average output power about 7.9 mW. The output pulses show an ultra-low RMS jitter about 70.7 fs measured by a RF spectrum analyzer. The use of the proposed forward-injection configuration can realize the repetition-rate tunability from I to 15 GHz for the generated optical-pulse sequences. By employing a wavelength-tunable optical band-pass filter in the laser cavity, the operation wavelength of the designed SOA-based actively mode-locked fiber laser can be tuned continuously in a wide span between 1528 and 1565 nm. The parameters of external-injection optical pulses are studied experimentally to optimize the mode-locked fiber laser. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High resolution photoacoustic overtone spectroscopy of monofluoroacetylene, HCCF, with a titanium:sapphire ring laser

Intracavity photoacoustic overtone spectrum of monofluoroacetylene, HCCF, has been recorded in the wave number region 10 750–14 500 cm−1 with a titanium:sapphire ring laser. The spectrum contains many dense vibration–rotation band systems which can be resolved with Doppler limited resolution. Altogether 58 individual overtone bands have been analyzed rotationally. Many of the observed bands show perturbations of which some have been attributed to anharmonic resonance interactions. A Fermi resonance model based on conventional rectilinear normal coordinate theory has been used to assign vibrationally bands from this work and from earlier studies. Many of the observed vibrational term values and rotational constants can be reproduced well with this model. The results show the importance of the Fermi resonance interactions at the high overtone excitations.

Characterization of 45º-tilted fiber grating and its polarization function in fiber ring laser

We have proposed and demonstrated a fiber ring laser with single-polarization output using an intracavity 45°-tilted fiber grating (45°-TFG). The properties of the 45°-TFG have been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The fiber ring laser incorporating the 45°-TFG has been systematically characterized, showing a significant improvement in the polarization extinction ratio (PER) and achieving a PER of >30 dB. The slope efficiencies of the ring laser with and without the 45°-TFG have been measured. This laser shows a very stable polarized output with a PER variation of less than 2 dB for 5 hours at laboratory conditions. In addition, we also demonstrated the tunability of the laser.

Single- and dual-wavelength switchable erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on intracavity polarization selective tilted fiber gratings

We propose and demonstrate a single- and dual-wavelength switchable erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) by utilizing intracavity polarization selective filters based on tilted fiber gratings (TFGs). In the cavity, one 45° TFG functions as an in-fiber polarizer and the other 77° TFG is used as a fiber polarization dependent loss (PDL) filter. The combined polarization effect from these two TFGs enables the laser to switch between the single- and the dual-wavelength operation with a single-polarization state at room temperature. The laser output at each wavelength shows an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of >60 dB, a side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of >50 dB, and a polarization extinction ratio of ~35 dB. The proposed EDFL can give stable output under laboratory conditions.

Brillouin based distributed fibre sensor incorporating a mode-locked Brillouin fibre ring laser

A pulsed Brillouin fibre ring laser has been developed and we describe its main features. The pump and the Brillouin laser are shown to form an excellent dual frequency source for distributed sensing. A first application for fire detection is demonstrated.

Single polarisation fibre ring laser by utilising intracavity 45° tilted fibre Bragg grating

Single polarisation operation of fibre ring laser has been realised by employing an intracavity 45deg-tilted fibre Bragg grating (45deg-TFBG). The degree of polarisation up to 99.94% of the laser was demonstrated with good stability.

Realisation of single polarisation state of fibre ring laser by utilising intracavity 45° tilted fibre Bragg grating

Single polarisation operation of fibre ring laser has been realised by employing an intracavity 45°tilted fibre Bragg gratings (45° TFBGs). The degree of polarisation of 99.94% of the laser was demonstrated with good stability.

Multi-wavelength switchable fibre ring laser based on polarisation selective tilted fibre gratings capable of strain and temperature sensing

Using three fibre gratings with excessively tilted structures in the cavity, we have experimentally demonstrated a multiwavelength switchable erbium-doped fibre ring laser system. The three tilted gratings act as in-fibre polariser and polarisation dependent loss filters to induce the polarisation hole burning effect in the cavity for the operation of the laser at single, double, triple and quadruple wavelengths. The laser system has demonstrated good stability under room temperature conditions and also achieved a high degree of polarization (~30dB), high optical signal to noise ratio (up to 63dB) and high side mode suppression (~50dB). The system has also been investigated for temperature and strain sensing by subjecting the seeding fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) to temperature and strain variations. Since the loss band of the polarisation dependent loss filter is broader than the bandwidth of the seeding FBG, the laser output shifts in wavelength with the applied temperature and strain. The fibre ring laser has shown good responses to the temperature and strain, providing sensitivities of approximately 11.7 pm/°C and 0.85pm/µe respectively.

Brillouin based distributed fibre sensor incorporating a mode-locked Brillouin fibre ring laser

A pulsed Brillouin fibre ring laser has been developed and we describe its main features. The pump and the Brillouin laser are shown to form an excellent dual frequency source for distributed sensing. A first application for fire detection is demonstrated.

Single polarisation fibre ring laser by utilising intracavity 45° tilted fibre Bragg grating

Single polarisation operation of fibre ring laser has been realised by employing an intracavity 45°-tilted fibre Bragg grating (45°-TFBG). The degree of polarisation upto 99.94% of the laser was demonstrated with good stability.