Single Longitudinal Mode Parity-Time Symmetric Brillouin Fiber Laser Based on Lithium Niobate Phase Modulator Sagnac Loop

Abstract

A single longitudinal mode (SLM) parity-time (PT) symmetric Brillouin fiber laser (BFL) based on z-cut lithium niobate phase modulator (LN-PM) Sagnac loop with Hz level linewidth is proposed and experimentally verified. A 10 km single-mode fiber provide SBS gain, while an LN-PM Sagnac loop consisting of an LN-PM and two polarization controllers (PCs) is used to achieve PT symmetry. Two mutually linked feedback loops supporting orthogonally polarized light are created by utilizing inherent birefringence of LN waveguide from LN-PM without electrical signal modulation. One of the feedback loops experiences gain in a clockwise direction and the other loss in a counterclockwise direction. The polarization state of the stokes injected into the LN-PM is controlled by adjusting the PC, and SLM BFL can be achieved when the gain and loss are well matched and exceed the coupling coefficient to break the PT symmetry. Compared with existing BFL studies, this design does not call for frequency matching of several composite cavity structures or precise control of ultra-narrow bandwidth bandpass filters. In addition, a frequency-locking system based on Pound-Drever-Hall technology is employed to lessen the instability and external disturbances brought on by the ring cavity. In the experiment, the linewidth of PT symmetry BFL based on LN-PM Sagnac loop is 3.85 Hz, according to the measured linewidth of 77 Hz at the −20 dB power point. A 65 dB optical signal-to-noise ratio and a 43 dB maximum side mode suppression ratio are measured. Furthermore, the PT symmetry BFL's wavelength is tuned between 1550 and 1550.41 nm.