Numerical modeling of the self-similar mode-locked Er3+-doped fluoride fiber laser around 3 µm

Abstract

At present, generating sub-100 fs ultrafast pulse in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) region around 3 µm is very challenging. In this work, we have numerically investigated self-similar mode-locking of an Er3+-doped fluoride fiber laser with dispersion compensation. The simulation results show that stable self-similar pulse with 3 dB spectral bandwidth of 100 nm can be achieved. The self-similar pulse has a large linear chirp with the corresponding time bandwidth product (TBP) of about 5.81, which can be easily compressed to a near-Fourier-transform-limited pulse as short as 92 fs via de-chirping technology outside the cavity. In addition, optimal investigations of the mode-locked fiber laser have been conducted. This work provides an attractive alternative scheme for generating sub-100 fs ultrafast fiber laser in the mid-IR region.