Mechanism for stable, ultra-flat multiwavelength operation in erbium-doped fiber lasers employing intensity-dependent loss

We study a mechanism to attain stable and ultra-flat multiwavelength oscillations in erbium-doped fiber lasers (EDFLs). The key concept is to introduce intensity-dependent loss (IDL) into the laser cavity, which can effectively suppress the mode competition in the homogeneously broadened gain medium...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lu, C., Tam, H. Y., Wai, P. K. A., Feng, Xinhuan, Tang, Dingyuan, Guan, Bai-ou
Other Authors: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/97469
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/10630
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
Description
Summary:We study a mechanism to attain stable and ultra-flat multiwavelength oscillations in erbium-doped fiber lasers (EDFLs). The key concept is to introduce intensity-dependent loss (IDL) into the laser cavity, which can effectively suppress the mode competition in the homogeneously broadened gain medium and ensure a uniform power distribution over wavelengths via the gain-clamping effect. The technique was successfully demonstrated by employing a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) in erbium-doped fiber laser cavity. Based on the experimental results, further experimental investigation and theoretical analysis are carried out to show the effectiveness of the gain-clamping mechanism in realizing the multiwavelength operation of the EDFL.