Multiwavelength fiber laser using a multimode elliptical‐core erbium‐doped fiber

Abstract

AbstractThis paper reports on a fiber laser constructed with an erbium‐doped fiber, which has an elliptical core that is single‐moded along the minor axis and multimoded along the major axis. The laser can simultaneously emit several stable lines at room temperatures. The maximum number of lasing lines obtained depends on the number of modes supported by the erbium‐doped fiber in the cavity. The separation between the lasing lines depends on the fiber birefringence. The principle of operation is based on the anisotropic‐gain effects in a polarization‐maintaining fiber. The stability of the lasing lines, in the presence of anisotropic‐gain effects in a polarization‐maintaining fiber, has been explored. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 42: 124–128, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20227