Characterization of ultra-long Raman fibre lasers

We present results on characterization of lasers with ultra-long cavity lengths up to 84km, the longest cavity ever reported. We have analyzed the mode structure, shape and width of the generated spectra, intensity fluctuations depending on length and intra-cavity power. The RF spectra exhibit an ultra-dense cavity mode structure (mode spacing is 1.2kHz for 84km), in which the width of the mode beating is proportional to the intra-cavity power while the optical spectra broaden with power according to the square-root law acquiring a specific shape with exponential wings. A model based on wave turbulence formalism has been developed to describe the observed effects.

Environmentally stable high-power soliton fiber lasers that use chirped fiber Bragg gratings

Environmentally stable high-power erbium fiber soliton lasers are constructed by Kerr or carrier-type mode locking. We obtain high-energy pulses by using relatively short fiber lengths and providing large amounts of negative dispersion with chirped fiber Bragg gratings. The pulse energies and widths generated with both types of soliton laser are found to scale with the square root of the cavity dispersion. Kerr mode locking requires pulses with an approximately three times higher nonlinear phase shift in the cavity than carrier mode locking, which leads to the generation of slightly shorter pulses with as much as seven times higher pulse energies at the mode-locking threshold.

Direct real-time cavity mode assessment and optimization technique for fiber lasers

A simple technique for direct real-time assessment of a fiber laser cavity-mode condition during operation is demonstrated. Mode stabilization and optimization with this cavity-mode monitoring and conditioning feedback scheme shows significant improvements to the output performance.

Mode-locked fiber lasers with significant variability of generation regimes

We demonstrate a great variability of single-pulse (with only one pulse/wave-packet traveling along the cavity) generation regimes in fiber lasers passively mode-locked by non-linear polarization evolution (NPE) effect. Combining extensive numerical modeling and experimental studies, we identify multiple very distinct lasing regimes with a rich variety of dynamic behavior and a remarkably broad spread of key parameters (by an order of magnitude and more) of the generated pulses. Such a broad range of variability of possible lasing regimes necessitates developing techniques for control/adjustment of such key pulse parameters as duration, radiation spectrum, and the shape of the auto-correlation function. From a practical view point, availability of pulses/wave-packets with such different characteristics from the same laser makes it imperative to develop variability-aware designs with control techniques and methods to select appropriate application-oriented regimes. © 2014 The Authors.

Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Radial Temperature Profile of Strontium Bromide Lasers

For metal and metal halide vapor lasers excited by high frequency pulsed discharge, the thermal effect mainly caused by the radial temperature distribution is of considerable importance for stable laser operation and improvement of laser output characteristics. A short survey of the obtained analytical and numerical-analytical mathematical models of the temperature profile in a high-powered He-SrBr2 laser is presented. The models are described by the steady-state heat conduction equation with mixed type nonlinear boundary conditions for the arbitrary form of the volume power density. A complete model of radial heat flow between the two tubes is established for precise calculating the inner wall temperature. The models are applied for simulating temperature profiles for newly designed laser. The author’s software prototype LasSim is used for carrying out the mathematical models and simulations.

Effect of dynamical instability on timing jitter in passively mode-locked quantum-dot lasers

We study the effect of noise on the dynamics of passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers both experimentally and theoretically. A method combining analytical and numerical approaches for estimation of pulse timing jitter is proposed. We investigate how the presence of dynamical features such as wavelength bistability in a quantum-dot laser affects timing jitter.

Optical trapping with Bessel beams generated from semiconductor lasers

In this paper, we study generation of Bessel beams from semiconductor lasers with high beam propagation parameter M2 and their utilization for optical trapping and manipulation of microscopic particles including living cells. The demonstrated optical tweezing with diodegenerated Bessel beams paves the way to replace their vibronic-generated counterparts for a range of applications towards novel lab-on-a-chip configurations.

Manipulation of microparticles using Bessel beams from semiconductor lasers

Optical manipulation of microscopic objects (including living cells) using Bessel beams from semiconductor lasers has been demonstrated for the first time. In addition, it has been found in the experiments that a Bessel beam of sufficient power from a semiconductor laser makes it possible to manipulate simultaneously several microscopic objects captured into its central lobe and the first ring. © 2014 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Ultralong fiber lasers with coding in free-spectral range for secure key Distribution

We present experimental results on a 50km fiber laser switching among four different values of the free-spectral range for possible applications in secure key-distribution. © 2014 OSA.

Vector solitons in harmonic mode-locked erbium-doped fiber lasers

We report experimental study of vector solitons for the fundamental and harmonic mode-locked operation in erbiumdoper fiber lasers with carbon nanotubes based saturable absorbers and anomalous dispersion cavities. We measure evolution of the output pulses polarization and demonstrate vector solitons with various polarization attractors, including locked polarization, periodic polarization switching, and polarization precession.

Optical trapping with Bessel beams generated from semiconductor lasers

In this paper, we demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, utilization of Bessel beams generated from a semiconductor laser for optical trapping and manipulation of microscopic particles including living cells. © 2014 OSA.

Phase-locked quantum-dot mode-locked lasers for wider frequency combs generation

We describe the technique allowing generation of wider frequency combs with low phase noise and pulses of shorter duration in quantum-dot mode-locked lasers. The devices are stabilized using coherent sidebands optical injection. © 2014 OSA.

Ultra-long fibre-based random lasers

The emerging science and applications of ultra-long random fibre lasers will be overviewed. The lasers with cavity length up to several hundred km exploit random distributed feedback provided by Rayleigh scattering amplified through Raman effect. © 2014 OSA.

Vector solitons in mode locked fibre lasers

We overview our recent results on polarisation dynamics of vector solitons in erbium doped fibre laser mode locked with carbon nanotubes. Our experimental and theoretical study revealed new families of vector solitons for fundamental and bound-state soliton operations. The observed scenario of the evolution of the states of polarisation (SOPs) on the Poincare sphere includes fast polarisation switching between two and three SOPs along with slow SOP evolution on a double scroll chaotic attractor. The underlying physics presents an interplay between effects of birefringence of the laser cavity and light induced anisotropy caused by polarisation hole burning. © 2014 IEEE.

Dropout dynamics in pulsed quantum dot lasers due to mode jumping

We examine the response of a pulse pumped quantum dot laser both experimentally and numerically. As the maximum of the pump pulse comes closer to the excited-state threshold, the output pulse shape becomes unstable and leads to dropouts. We conjecture that these instabilities result from an increase of the linewidth enhancement factor α as the pump parameter comes close to the excitated state threshold. In order to analyze the dynamical mechanism of the dropout, we consider two cases for which the laser exhibits either a jump to a different single mode or a jump to fast intensity oscillations. The origin of these two instabilities is clarified by a combined analytical and numerical bifurcation diagram of the steady state intensity modes.