0000000000648460
AUTHOR
S. A. Kolpakov
Influence of Cavity Loss Upon Performance of Q-Switched Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser
Performance of an actively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser in function of intracavity loss is discussed. We show experimentally and theoretically (employing a distributed model that takes into account two contra-propagating laser waves) that the laser performance strongly depends on the intracavity loss of different kinds. We reveal in particular that the dominant source of smaller than expected pulse energy is the loss via excited-state absorption, inherent in erbium-doped fibers. We also discuss the other important processes involved in active Q-switching, such as passive losses and residual active fiber charge, the impact of which is clarified by a straightforward comparison of the m…
Comparison of asymmetric and symmetric cavity configurations of erbium-doped fiber laser in active Q-switched regime
We present a comparative analysis of the dynamics of an actively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser assembled in two configurations of Fabry–Perot cavity, asymmetric and symmetric, specified by the location of an acousto-optic Q-switch modulator relative to the output couplers. In both configurations, the length of an active (Er3+-doped) fiber is chosen such that the laser does not spuriously emit at the moments when the modulator is blocked, which is important for the pulse-on-demand operation. We show experimentally that the symmetric cavity configuration permits enlarging of the active fiber length twice as compared to the asymmetric one, thereby increasing the energy and decreasing the…
Bistable phase locking in a low fresnel number nondegenerate optical oscillator with injected signal
Degenerate four-wave mixing oscillators are phase-bistable cavities. In such systems, above the oscillation threshold, two equivalent states, of equal intensities but opposite phases are generated. This phase bistability extends over the whole range of stable emission, unlike the intensity bistability (in, e.g. a saturable absorber cavity) that exits in a limited range of injection. When the cavity Fresnel number is large different patches of the beam transverse section can have different phases and a pattern forms. Basic patterns here are phase fronts (or domain walls), which are 1D structures separating regions with opposite phase that manifest as dark lines (as the phase jumps by p acros…
Asymmetrically Apodized Fiber Bragg Gratings for Applications in Dispersion-Less Fabry-Pérot Fiber Cavities
Abstract This article presents a theoretical study of the dispersion properties of the asymmetrically apodized fiber Bragg gratings. It is shown that the dispersive behavior of these gratings may be changed from normal to anomalous, depending on the apodization function and the grating strength. The asymmetrical Bessel functions were chosen in order to demonstrate these properties of the gratings. The application of this effect in a dispersion-less Fabry-Perot fiber cavity formed by two asymmetrically apodized fiber Bragg gratings is discussed.
Experimental demonstration of bistable phase locking in a photorefractive oscillator
We report experimental evidence of bistable phase locking in nonlinear optics, in particular, in a photorefractive oscillator emitting in few transverse modes. Bistable phase locking is a recently proposed method for converting a laserlike system, which is phase invariant, into a phase-bistable one by injecting a suitable spatially modulated monochromatic beam, resonant with the laser emission, into the optical cavity. We experimentally demonstrate that the emission on the fundamental TEM00 mode becomes phase bistable by injection of a beam with the shape of the TEM10 mode with appropriate frequency, in accordance with recent theoretical predictions [K. Staliunas et al., Phys. Rev. A 80, 02…
A distributed model for continuous-wave erbium-doped fiber laser
Abstract A distributed model of a continuous-wave erbium-doped fiber laser is discussed. The model is based on two contra-propagated traveling laser waves, and includes inhomogeneous pumping, excited state absorption at the pump and the laser wavelengths, amplified spontaneous emission and radial distribution of populations of erbium levels. It is shown that excited state absorption is a main limiting factor to the laser's efficiency. Moreover, consideration of radial distributions of erbium levels' populations in the model reduces laser efficiency and decreases optimal reflection of the laser output coupler. The modeling results are in excellent agreement with the experimental study on the…
Smart Q-switching for single-pulse generation in an erbium-doped fiber laser
In this paper, we report an active Q-switching of an erbium-doped fiber laser with special modulation functions and novel laser geometry. We experimentally demonstrate that using such a smart Q-switch approach, Q-switch ripple-free pulses with Gaussian-like shape and 17.3 ns width can be easily obtained. The idea behind the smart Q-switch is to suppress one of two laser waves contra-propagating along the fiber cavity, which arises after Q-cell opening, and to eliminate the minor sub-pulses.