Photonics Research, 2019, 7 (7): 07000798, Published Online: Jun. 21, 2019
Acousto-optic tunable ultrafast laser with vector-mode-coupling-induced polarization conversion Download: 813次
Abstract
Acousto-optic interactions, employed in the ultrafast laser regulation, possess remarkable advantages for fast tuning performance in a wide spectral range. Here, we propose an ultrafast fiber laser whose wideband tunability is provided by an acousto-optic structure fabricated with an etched single-mode fiber. Because of the laser polarization conversion induced by the coupling between the core and cladding vector modes in the etched fiber, a band-pass characteristic of the acousto-optic interaction is achieved to effectively regulate the inner-cavity gain range. Cooperating with a saturable absorber based on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with polarization robustness, a soliton operating state is achieved in the tunable erbium-doped fiber laser. By controlling the acoustical wave frequency from 1.039 to 1.069 MHz, this soliton laser can be conveniently tuned in a wide spectral range from 1571.52 to 1539.26 nm. Meanwhile, the laser pulses have near-transform-limited durations stably maintaining less than 2 ps at different wavelength channels, owing to the broadband nonlinear absorption of SWCNTs.
Yujia Li, Ligang Huang, Haonan Han, Lei Gao, Yulong Cao, Yuan Gong, Wending Zhang, Feng Gao, Iroegbu Paul Ikechukwu, Tao Zhu. Acousto-optic tunable ultrafast laser with vector-mode-coupling-induced polarization conversion[J]. Photonics Research, 2019, 7(7): 07000798.