Dual Orthogonal Polarization States in an Active Mode-Locked Birefringent Fiber Ring Laser

Abstract

We report the generation of dual amplitude pulses in an active mode-locked fiber laser within a birefringent cavity. Different to normal mode-locked pulses with identical amplitude and polarization state, and pulses polarized on both x- and y-axes simultaneously exist in the output pulse train. The two orthogonal pulse sequences have different amplitudes and lase at different wavelengths. Dual wavelengths are the result of red shift and blue shift of the x- and y-polarization states of the generated pulses, respectively, due to the detuning phenomena. Locking to individual x- or y-polarized pulse is also obtained by adjusting polarization controllers