Cylindrical Vector Beam Fiber Laser Research Articles

Switchable dual-wavelength mode-locked cylindrical vector beam fiber laser based on unpumped EDF saturable absorber and nonlinear polarization rotation

A switchable single- and dual-wavelength mode-locked pulse laser with cylindrical vector beam (CVB) based on an unpumped EDF saturable absorber and a nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) hybrid mode-locked mechanism has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. An unpumped EDF saturable absorber is utilized to generate a mode-locked operation that generates high-order laser pulses. Utilizing a hybrid mode-locked mechanism, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and operating stability of the laser are improved compared to the mode-locked operation with a single unpumped EDF saturable absorber. Through adjusting the polarization controller, single- and dual-wavelength stable mode-locked pulses can be easily realized. The single-wavelength mode-locked pulse operates with central wavelengths of 1550.16 nm and 1549.80 nm, repetition frequencies of 6.33 MHz and 6.35 MHz, corresponding to pulse intervals of 158 ns and 157 ns. Further, the long-period grating (LPFG) is used as a mode converter to achieve pulse output with a purity exceeding 95 % in the TM01 and TE01 modes at different operating wavelengths. The proposed fiber laser with a simple structure has provided a flexible pulsed CVB laser source for laser processing, time division, and mode division multiplexing applications.

Tunable spectrally-flat multi-wavelength cylindrical vector beam fiber laser by using a re-circulating frequency shifter loop with two external injections

We experimentally demonstrate a tunable spectrally -flat multi-wavelength cylindrical vector beam (CVB) fiber laser based on a two-mode long-period fiber grating (TM-LPFG) and a re-circulating frequency shifter loop with two external injections. The TM-LPFG is utilized as a mode converter in the re-circulating frequency shifter loop to excite the LP11 mode in the two-mode fiber. By adjusting the wavelength interval of the two injected seed signals, the power of the injected seed signals, and the pump power can produce a flat intensity envelope between the two injected wavelengths. Multi-wavelength CVBs of 12, 18, or 30 channels with a peak-to-peak power variation lower than 2 dB between the two injected wavelengths are obtained with a wavelength spacing of approximately 0.08 nm. The wavelength spacing can be adjusted by changing the frequency of the radio frequency signal. Multi-wavelength CVBs of 14 channels with a peak-to-peak power variation lower than 2 dB between the two injected wavelengths are obtained with a wavelength spacing of approximately 0.2 nm. The purity of the generated multi-wavelength CVBs is higher than 98%. Due to the absence of interference-type filter elements, the multi-wavelength CVB fiber laser exhibits excellent stability. The maximum wavelength deviation of each channel is less than 6.5 pm, and the maximum intensity fluctuation is less than 0.7 dB over a period of one hour.

High-power cylindrical vector beam fiber laser based on an all-polarization-maintaining structure

We propose and demonstrate an all-polarization-maintaining (PM) high-power cylindrical vector beam (CVB) fiber laser based on the principle of mode superposition. The non-degenerated LPy 11a is generated from the oscillator with the maximum power of 11.9W, whose slope efficiency is 24.4%. Then the stable single TE01 vector beam is achieved by the superposition of LPy 11a and LPx 11b in an all-PM architecture, its output power is 3.1W and mode purity of 91.2%. Due to the all-PM architecture, our configuration is free of adjusting polarization controller (PC) and reliable during long-term operation. This laser could be used as a high-power CVBs source for a wide range of applications towards scientific research and industrial field.

High power mode-locked fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam generation

We demonstrate a high power passively mode-locked fiber laser with a linear cavity configuration, which generates cylindrical vector beam (CVB) using few-mode fiber Bragg grating (FM-FBG) as transverse mode separator and nonlinear optical loop mirror as longitudinal mode locker. The laser operating at 1066.9 nm outputs mode-locked CVB pulses with spectral bandwidth of 1.7 nm and repetition rate of 5.026 MHz. The output power reaches 320 mW under pump power of 6.82 W. The CVB purity is over 94 %. The mode-locked CVB fiber laser with simple all-fiber configuration and high output power has important application prospects in material processing, microscopic imaging and so on.

基于少模光纤被动调Q柱矢量光光纤激光器

基于少模光纤被动调Q柱矢量光光纤激光器

Cylindrical vector beam fiber laser with a symmetric two-mode fiber coupler

We demonstrate a passively mode-locked all-fiber laser generating cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) only using a symmetric two-mode fiber optical coupler (TMF-OC) for both high-order mode excitation and splitting. Theoretical analyses show that for a symmetric TMF-OC with appropriate taper diameter, the second-order mode can be excited and coupled into output tap with high purity due to the effective index difference of different modes. Based on the fabricated TMF-OC, the passively mode-locked fiber laser delivers pulsed CVBs at a center wavelength of 1564.4 nm with 3 dB linewidth of 11.2 nm, pulse duration of 2.552 ps, and repetition rate of 3.96 MHz. The purity of both radially and azimuthally polarized beams is estimated to be over 91%. Due to simple fabrication method of the TMF-OC and high purity of the generated CVBs, this mode-locked CVB fiber laser with all-fiber configuration has potential applications in optical trapping, optical communications, material processing, etc.

Adaptive modal gain controlling for a high-efficiency cylindrical vector beam fiber laser.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an ytterbium-doped fiber laser emitting the single high-order cylindrical vector beams with a high efficiency and a high modal purity based on adaptive modal gain control. By the combination of a high-order pump with a self-designed ytterbium-ring doped fiber, modal dependent gain was tailored and specific transverse mode can be selected in the laser cavity. A model based on multimode propagation-rate equations is built up to demonstrate the behaviors of transverse mode competition in the fiber laser. Modal dependent gain of high-order mode pump are simulated numerically, which agree well with our experiment results. The slope efficiency of the fiber laser reaches 79.61% with a low threshold of 47.73mw. The purity of the generated high-order CVBs are in excess of 95%. Such a strategy enables the controllability of modal gain in a fiber laser and reveals the potential to offer a new and promising way to achieve a high-power fiber laser with an arbitrary single high-order transverse modes output.

Passively Q-switching cylindrical vector beam fiber laser operating in high-order mode

We experimentally demonstrate a linear-cavity all-fiber passively Q-switching cylindrical vector beam (CVB) laser operating in high-order mode. This CVB fiber laser operates without any mode converter which always leads to high insertion loss, and it can realize high efficiency. In this fiber laser, the stable Q-switching pulse is achieved with a slope efficiency of 39%. By properly adjusting the polarization controllers, radially polarized and azimuthally polarized beams can be obtained. Our work proves the feasibility of achieving the stable Q-switching CVB pulse with high-order mode directly oscillating, and it may have an enormous potential for enhancing the efficiency.

Multiwavelength mode-locked cylindrical vector beam fiber laser based on mode selective coupler

We propose and demonstrate a multiwavelength mode-locked fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam generation for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The mode-locking mechanism is based on a nonlinear polarization rotation effect in fiber, and the multiwavelength operation is contributed to by an in-line birefringence fiber filter with periodic multiple passbands, formed by incorporating a section of polarization maintaining fiber into the laser cavity with a fiber polarizer. Furthermore, by using a home-made mode selective coupler, which acts as both a mode converter from fundamental mode to higher-order mode and an output coupler, multiwavelength mode-locked cylindrical vector beams have been obtained. This may have potential applications in mode-division multiplexing optical fiber communication and material processing.

All-fiber CW cylindrical vector beam fiber laser based on few-mode fiber Bragg grating

An all-fiber CW cylindrical vector beam (CVB) fiber laser based on a few-mode fiber Bragg grating (FW-FBG) with switchable radially and azimuthally polarized beam generation has been demonstrated. The CVB fiber laser operates at a wavelength of 1053.95nm with a 3dB line width of 0.1nm, a signal-to-background ratio of more than 50dB. The CVB output power can reach 75mW, and the mode purity is measured to be >95.5%. This compact CVB fiber laser has potential applications in many areas such as optical tweezers, optical trapping and optical sensing systems.

High efficiency mode-locked, cylindrical vector beam fiber laser based on a mode selective coupler.

We propose and demonstrate an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser with a figure-8 cavity, which generates pulsed cylindrical vector beam output based on a mode selective coupler (MSC). The MSC made of a two mode fiber and a standard single mode fiber is used as both the intracavity transverse mode converter and mode splitter with a low insertion loss of about 0.65 dB. The slope efficiency of the fiber laser is > 3%. Through adjusting the polarization state in the laser cavity, both radially and azimuthally polarized beams have been obtained with high mode purity which are measured to be > 94%. The laser operates at 1556.3 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 3.2 nm. The mode-locked pulses have duration of 17 ns and a repetition rate of 0.66 MHz.

Q-switching fiber laser based on carbon nano-tube for cylindrical-vector beams generation

An all fiber passive Q-switching laser with cylindrical-vector beam (CVB) output was demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge using carbon nano-tube (CNT) as saturable absorber and a few-mode fiber Bragg grating as polarization-selective output coupler. The fiber laser operated at the wavelength of 1557.5 nm with a narrow linewidth of less than 0.02 nm (3 dB). Attributed to the high damage threshold and polarization insensitivity of the CNT, the Q-switching fiber laser was capable of generating switchable radially or azimuthally polarized output modes. When the pump power varied from 63.09 to 162.63 mW the repetition rate of the Q-switching CVB fiber laser increased three times from 30.88 to 92.75 kHz.