Abstract
The nonlinear saturable absorption of an ionically-doped colored glass filter is measured directly using a Z-scan technique. For the first time, we demonstrate the potential of this material as a saturable asborber in fiber lasers. We achieve mode-locking of an ytterbium doped system. Mode-locking of cavities with all-positive and net-negative group velocity dispersion are demonstrated, achieving pulse durations of 60 ps and 4.1 ps, respectively. This inexpensive and optically robust material, with the potential for broadband operation, could surplant other saturable absorber devices in affordable mode-locked fiber lasers.
Highlights
Mode-locked fiber laser sources have been extensively developed in recent years
This has led to their deployment across a broad range of applications requiring ultrashort pulses, because of their compactness, simplicity, and low cost
Ionically-doped colored glasses [9,10,11] used as a saturable absorber in fiber lasers may resolve these issues, providing a more thermally robust solution allowing potential for higher achievable output powers, supported by performance of mode-locked solid-state lasers based on this approach [12,13], as well as offering the potential for broadband operation
Summary
Mode-locked fiber laser sources have been extensively developed in recent years. A number of SADs, with parameters specific for use in fiber lasers, have been investigated and widely employed to achieve reliable mode-locked performance including, semiconductor-based absorbers [3]; carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [4, 5]; and more recently, graphene [5,6,7,8] These technologies offer many advantages, such as broadband and reliable operation, they are not without limitation, having drawbacks, namely, high production costs and relatively low damage thresholds. For the first time to the best of our knowledge, that this device offers sufficient intensity contrast to promote mode-locking in a low-power ytterbium- (Yb-) doped fiber system This proof-of-concept demonstration of mode-locking a fiber laser, importantly, where the requirements on the absorber differ significantly to solid-state counterparts due to differences in the gain dynamics and the magnitude of the nonlinearity and dispersion, could open the possiblity of achieving elavated output energies from all-fiber, passively mode-locked pulsed lasers
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