Erbium-doped Fiber Laser Research Articles

Fabrication of double-cladding fluoroindate glass fibers and watt-level 2.7 μm laser application

We report a double-cladding fluoroindate fiber with three layers of step refractive index glass. The gain double-cladding fluoroindate fiber is fabricated by the traditional rob-in-tube method. It possesses a tunable refractive index from 1.46 to 1.51 via modification of glass components. The good thermal–mechanical performance of fluoroindate glass protects fiber against thermal damage. The luminescence characteristics and radiation parameters are studied, and the results indicate enhanced emission with the higher Er3+ doping concentration. The maximum output power and the slope efficiency of heavily erbium-doped fiber laser are about 1.2 W and 16.3 %, respectively. The numerical modeling of a heavily-erbium-doped fluoroindate fiber laser is also carried out and compared with our experimental results. The low phonon energy and high laser damage threshold of fluoroindate glass allow for higher output power and efficiency of fiber lasers. In brief, this is the first study on watt-level 2.7 μm fiber laser in all-solid double-cladding fluoroindate fibers to our knowledge.

A half-open cavity random fiber laser based on a single-mode fiber and fiber Bragg grating

A random erbium-doped fiber laser based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and single-mode fiber (SMF) was designed and realized experimentally in this study. For the proposed random fiber laser (RFL), the 10 km long SMF was used to generate Rayleigh scattering (RS) emissions, along with FBG to provide randomly distributed feedback in the cavity. In the experiment, the RFL laser threshold is 55 mW, as the pump power is increasingly improved to 175 mW. The RS effect is gradually apparent, and 1531.59nm laser beam was formed. The signal-to-noise ratio was 38.4 dB. The FBG was stretched for sensing applications, and the lasing wavelength was adjusted from 1531.59 to 1533.83 nm when the grating was stretched from 0 to 2000 μϵ.

Vernier effect based on cascading two Mach–Zehnder interferometers for selectable comb filter and saturable absorber applications in erbium-doped fiber laser

We present the applications of a Vernier effect based on cascading two Mach–Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) as a selectable comb filter and saturable absorber (SA) in an erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL).Each MZI is composed of bi-tapered polarization-maintaining fibers (PMFs) constructed by fusion splicing between two single-mode fibers (SMFs), which are then connected in series to produce the Vernier effect. The first tapered MZI (called MZI-1) acted as a comb filter to providea larger free spectral range (FSR). The second MZI (MZI-2) based comb filter has a smaller FSR. The combination of these two filters forms an envelope structure on the comb-like spectrum. In this work, the first implementation of the comb filterbased onthe Vernier effectwas used as a wavelength-selectable filter. Through the adjustment of the polarization controller (PC1) and (PC2) inside the cavity, the FSR of the envelope can be varied, thereby switchable and adjustable multiwavelength was achieved. The second implementation uses a graphene nanoparticle (G-Nps)/polymer composite deposited onto the MZI-1 comb filter to act as an SA. At the 80 mW pump threshold, stable Q-switching EDFL operation was successfully activated at 1560.8 nm. The shortest pulse width of 2.89 μs at a 85.91 kHz repetition rate was achieved at 330 mA (180 mW) pump power. The proposed Vernier effect based on cascading two tapered MZIs configuration can find potential applications in the fields of advancedmultiwavelength fiber lasers and short pulse generation.

Comparative Study of Q-Switched Erbium Doped Fibre Laser with SWCNT-PVA Saturable Absorber of Different Ratios

This paper intends to compare the performance parameters of passive Q-switched erbium-doped fibre laser (EDFL) ring cavity configuration by employing SWCNT-PVA as a saturable absorber (SA). The single-wall carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol (SWCNT-PVA) SA thin film fabricated by drop-casting technique is physically characterised to understand its surface morphology and thickness. The laser diode (LD) characterisation is attained to understand the attributes of LD before inserting the SWCNT-PVA into the ring cavity. The SWCNT-PVA SA of ratios 1:1, 3:2 and 2:3 is inserted into the cavity for analysis and comparison with each other. The pulses obtained from the Q-switched laser show that SWCNT-PVA SA of ratio 2:3 is the best SA as it possesses excellent power related parameters of the highest output power of 3.45 mW and highest pulse energy of 36.12 nJ with its moderate repetition rate of 96.25 kHz and pulse width 4.76 ms. The envisaged laser is presumed to have representational implications throughout fibre optic sensing, biosensors, range finding, and other fields for better possible prospects.

Passively harmonic mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser with a gold nanofilm saturable absorber

We demonstrate a 1.5 GHz harmonic mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser by incorporating gold nanofilm as a saturable absorber (SA). The high-quality gold nanofilm SA fabricated by the physical vapor deposition method possesses a high modulation depth of 12.9% and a low saturation intensity of 1.69 MW/cm2 at 1.56 µm, facilitating the generation of harmonic mode-locking. The fundamental mode-locked operation was obtained at 1564.7 nm, with a pulse duration of 586 fs and a repetition rate of 34.235 MHz. At the pump power of 610 mW, 44th-order harmonic mode-locking with a repetition rate of 1.506 GHz was achieved, which is the highest yet reported in mode-locked fiber lasers using gold nanomaterials as SAs. Moreover, the gold nanofilm-based harmonic mode-locked fiber laser shows relatively high signal-to-noise ratios, high output power, and good stability. These results highlight the advantage of the gold nanofilm-based SA in realizing high repetition rate laser sources.

Nanosecond pulse generation mode-locked by an artificial saturable absorber based on SMF-MMF-SMF structure

We present a noteworthy demonstration of nanosecond pulse generation utilizing an all-fiber artificial saturable absorber (SA) structure, composed of single-mode multimode single-mode fiber (SMF-MMF-SMF), integrated into a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL). The SMS-based SA effectively phase-locked the longitudinal modes within the elongated EDFL cavity, resulting in the production of mode-locked pulses operating at 1567 nm. Mode-locking is achieved through the Kerr effect of nonlinear multimode interference. The pulse repetition rate is synchronized with the fundamental frequency at 1.28 MHz. At a pump power of 269.1 mW, the laser achieves a remarkable peak average pulse energy of 6.0 nJ. Demonstrating outstanding stability, the laser operation exhibits a peak-to-pedestal extinction ratio of 70 dB for the fundamental frequency. We are confident in the substantial potential of this SMS structure, positioning it as a compelling candidate for integration into ultrafast fiber lasers, with promising prospects in the field.

Passively harmonic mode-locked erbium-doped fiber lasers based on PbSnS2 saturable absorbers

The two-dimensional (2D) material PbSnS2, a type of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD), is a highly anisotropic layered compound with potential applications in ultrafast optics. We prepared PbSnS2 nanosheets by liquid phase exfoliation, attached them to microfibers to fabricate saturable absorbers (SAs) by optical deposition method, and successfully applied them to a passive erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL). In addition, the saturable absorption properties of PbSnS2-based SA were confirmed using a balanced two-detector measurement system. The results demonstrate that the PbSnS2-based SA can realize different stable mode-locked states in the same EDFL cavity, including fundamental frequency conventional soliton and 15th harmonic mode-locked states. Among them, the laser produced fundamental frequency mode-locked state with a signal-to-noise ratio of 59.51 dB (6.58 MHz repetition frequency). The HML pulse with a maximum repetition frequency of 98.71 MHz (corresponding to the 15th harmonic) was obtained. The results demonstrate that PbSnS2 is a candidate material for generating ultrafast pulses and has excellent potential for application in ultrafast lasers.

Multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser using the polarization-hole-burning effect for multichannel acoustic detection.

We propose and demonstrate a novel, to the best of our knowledge, fiber-optic multipoint acoustic detection system based on a multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser (MWEDFL) using the polarization-hole-burning effect with Fabry-Perot interferometers as the acoustic cavity-loss modulator. A polarization-wavelength-related filter is designed to assign a distinct polarization state to each laser wavelength. By adjusting the polarization state, the polarization-dependent loss and gain of each laser line are tuned to be equal, effectively suppressing the mode competition of EDF and enabling a stable MWEDFL. Each laser line serves as a separate channel for acoustic detection. Theoretical and experimental analyses are conducted to study the transient-response-amplification effect on the acoustic perturbation of the MWEDFL. The results show that the proposed MWEDFL exhibits an amplification effect on the sound-induced cavity-loss modulation, effectively enhancing the sensitivity by 13 dB compared to that obtained using an external-light-source demodulation method. In addition, the MWEDFL based on the PHB effect avoids cross talk between laser channels and can achieve high sensitivity and simultaneous multichannel acoustic detection.

Stable Q-switched and femtosecond mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser based on a CuSe nanosheets saturable absorber.

Stable Q-switched and femtosecond mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) have been achieved using CuSe nanosheets as novel saturable absorber (SA), where the CuSe nanosheets were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The nonlinear optical properties of CuSe nanosheets were measured using an Z-scan setup, revealing nonlinear absorption coefficients of -3.67 ± 0.22 cm GW-1 at 1560 nm. The prepared CuSe nanosheets were mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to obtain a CuSe-PVA SA with a modulation depth of 3.8 ± 0.13%, and it was utilized to realize a Q-switched EDFL, obtaining the narrowest pulse duration of 1.29 µs and the maximum output power of 5.96 mW, which corresponds to a pulse energy of up to 103.7 nJ. In addition, CuSe nanosheets were deposited on a D-shaped fiber (DSF) to fabricate a CuSe-DSF SA with a modulation depth of 5.6 ± 0.17%, and it was utilized to realize a mode-locked EDFL. The mode-locked EDFL demonstrated a low threshold of only 42 mW, a pulse duration of 740 fs, and a maximum output power of 9.7 mW. Meanwhile, it exhibited a high signal-to-noise ratio of 72 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time of CuSe nanosheets as SA in EDFL. The results demonstrate that CuSe nanosheets are a highly promising nonlinear optical material with great potential for applications in ultrafast photonics.

Preparation of amorphous silicon-doped Y2O3 aerogel enabling nonlinear optical features for ultrafast photonics

Abstract Amorphous aerogels with the microscopic nanoscale three-dimensional meshes provide superb platforms for investigating unique physicochemical properties. In order to enhance the physical, thermal and mechanical performances, one efficient and common approach is integrating diverse functional materials. Herein, we report a simple strategy to fabricate the amorphous silicon doped Y2O3 aerogels with the post-gelation method under the N2/EtOH supercritical atmosphere. The impact of Si concentration on the nonlinear optical properties is investigated for the first time. The maximum modulation depth is 1.65 % with a saturation intensity of 0.78 MW cm−2 with the 1-ps laser excitation at 1590 nm. Finally, we incorporated the silicon-doped Y2O3 aerogel based saturable absorber (SA) into an erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) and achieved various mode-locking operations at different wavelengths in the super C band, in terms of the conventional soliton, harmonic soliton molecules pulses, and dual-wavelength soliton mode-locking. Overall, this work confirms that amorphous silicon-doped Y2O3 aerogels are good nonlinear optical materials and pave a way for the ultrafast photonic and nonlinear optical applications with amorphous materials in near future.

Femtosecond mode-locked laser at 1.5 μm region using topological semimetals NbAs nanosheets

For the first time, NbAs nanosheets are used as a saturable absorber for fiber laser mode locking, achieving high efficiency saturation absorption. NbAs nanosheets are prepared through a liquid-phase exfoliation method, and the following nonlinear optical testing is performed with a self-built twin balanced detection device, with a modulation depth of 3.92 %. Additionally, NbAs nanosheets are embedded in erbium-doped fiber laser as saturable absorber to produce stable laser output with excellent performance. NbAs nanosheets based saturable absorber can achieve a pulse width of 640 fs. Compared with other topological materials, weyl semi-metal NbAs nanosheets based saturable absorber shows narrower pulses and broader linewidths. Those results hold significant importance for exploring the potential applications of NbAs in ultrafast fiber lasers.

Generation of Bright–Dark Pulses in Erbium-Doped Fiber Lasers Based on a Germanene-Saturable Absorber

Generation of Bright–Dark Pulses in Erbium-Doped Fiber Lasers Based on a Germanene-Saturable Absorber

A dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser for high resolution strain sensing with compound filter of a Sagnac loop and a long period fiber grating

A dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) strain sensing system composed of compound filter of a long period fiber grating (LPFG) and a Sagnac loop is proposed. Polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) in Sagnac loop acts both an interference filter and a strain sensing probe with high sensitivity, low cost, and low loss. LPFG is used to modulate the transmission wavelength and bandwidth of EDFL through adjusting its bending curvature. Flexible laser output with single wavelength and dual-wavelength tunable wavelength band of 10 nm is achieved in EDFL. The measurement sensitivity of strain reaches 8.33 pm/με, while the 3 dB linewidth is less than 2 nm and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) exceed 36 dB. This sensor has a high resolution (R) of 0.11 nm and a high quality factor (Q) of 38.13. The experimental results suggest that the system is suitable for precise strain measurement and has significant potential in fields like biomedicine, environmental monitoring, health monitoring, and aerospace.

Generation of Q-switched and mode-locked pulses in erbium-doped fiber ring laser using saturable absorption of Ti2SnC

MAX phase materials have garnered significant attention due to their corrosion resistance, impressive antioxidation and high electrical and optical conductivity. One such material, Titanium Tin Carbide (Ti2SnC), has demonstrated notable nonlinear optical properties. The saturable absorption of Ti2SnC, embedded into a polyvinyl (PVA) film, was measured to assess its potential. The Ti2SnC -PVA film exhibited a calculated modulation depth of 7.8%. In the context of practical applications, the Ti2SnC-PVA film was employed as a saturable absorber (SA) in an Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) cavity. This configuration enabled the generation of stable Q-switched and mode-locked pulse trains. Q-switched operation occurred in a pump power range of 51.67 mW–83.83 mW, reaching a peak pulse energy of 110.94 nJ. Transitioning to mode-locking operation, the laser cavity demonstrated efficiency in the pump power range of 105.27 mW–196.39 mW. At a pump power of 196.39 mW, the fiber laser cavity achieved its highest pulse energy of 5.42 nJ, characterized by a pulse width of 2.32 ps and a pulse repetition rate of 1.825 MHz. These results highlight the promising potential of Ti2SnC-PVA thin film as a cutting-edge material for applications in pulsed laser systems. The material's excellent nonlinear optical properties make it a compelling candidate for advancing the field of pulsed laser technology.

Recent Advances, Applications, and Perspectives in Erbium-Doped Fiber Combs

Optical frequency combs have emerged as a new generation of metrological tools, driving advancements in various fields such as free-space two-way time–frequency transfer, low-noise microwave source generation, and gas molecule detection. Among them, fiber combs based on erbium-doped fiber mode-locked lasers have garnered significant attention due to their numerous advantages, including low noise, high system integration, and cost-effectiveness. In this review, we discuss recent developments in erbium-doped fiber combs and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of constructing fiber combs utilizing different erbium-doped mode-locked fiber lasers. First, we provide a brief introduction to the basic principles of optical frequency combs. Then, we explore erbium-doped fiber combs implemented utilizing various mode-locking techniques, such as nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR), real saturable absorber (SA), and nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM). Finally, we present an outlook on the future perspectives of erbium-doped fiber combs.

Harnessing Multistability: A Novel Approach to Optical Logic Gate Construction Using Erbium-Doped Fiber Lasers

We present an innovative method harnessing multistability within a diode-pumped erbium-doped fiber laser to construct logic gates. Our approach involves manipulating the intensity of external noise to regulate the probability of transitioning among four concurrent attractors. In this manner, we facilitate the realization of OR, AND, NOR, and NAND logic operations, aligning with the coexisting period-1, period-3, period-4, and period-5 orbits. Employing detrended fluctuation analysis, we establish equilibrium in the probability distributions of these states. The obtained results denote a substantial advancement in the field of optical logic gate development, representing a pivotal stride toward the seamless integration of an all-optical logic gate within laser oscillator-based systems.

Nanosecond-pulse fiber laser mode-locked with polyaniline saturable absorber

We prove that mode-locking of an Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) with a Polyaniline (PANI) saturable absorber (SA) can produce nanosecond pulses at repetition rate of 962 kHz in the elongated ring cavity. The SA is fabricated by embedding a PANI into PVA. The conducting polymer-based SA exhibits a good optical nonlinear property with a modulation depth of 2.3%. The laser operated in nanosecond regime due to the saturable absorption of the PANI PVA SA instead of nonlinear polarization evolution. A clean single pulse is observed, and the pulse train exhibits low jitter. It operated at 1530.8 nm with a pulse duration of 228 ns and a maximum pulse energy of 3.1 nJ. Due to its extremely large chirp property, the proposed laser is suited for application in the chirped-pulse amplification systems.

Full-face and neck resurfacing with a novel ablative fractional 2910 nm erbium-doped fluoride glass fiber laser for advanced photoaging.

Ablative fractional lasers have long been considered the gold standard for facial resurfacing for advanced photoaging. These lasers offer an improved safety profile compared to traditional ablative lasers but typically require more treatment sessions given their fractional approach. In this study, we evaluate a new novel 2910 nm erbium-doped fluoride glass fiber laser (2910 nm fiber laser) (UltraClear; Acclaro Medical) for full-face and neck resurfacing for the treatment of advanced photoaging. Twenty-two healthy subjects aged 44-80 years presenting for advanced facial photoaging and rhytides were enrolled in the study. All subjects received three full-face and neck, multipass treatments utilizing the 2910 nm fiber laser spaced 6-8 weeks apart. Subjects were asked to rate the average level of pain during the treatment. At 90 days following subjects' third treatment subjects evaluated their improvement using a Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) and rated their satisfaction with the treatment. Evaluation of pretreatment and posttreatment photos was completed by two blinded physician reviewers. Reviewers were asked to identify the pretreatment and posttreatment photographs and to rate the degree of improvement utilizing a GAIS. Fifteen participants completed the study; six were exited from the study (withdrew or lost to follow-up). The average subject GAIS score for overall appearance was 3.8. The average subject satisfaction level at follow-up was 4.8. The average subject pain score was 4.9. One blinded physician reviewer correctly identified 100% of subjects' posttreatment photographs, while the second blinded reviewer correctly identified 93%. Blinded evaluation of digital photographs revealed an average GAIS score of 3.2. Posttreatment skin responses included pin-point hemorrhage, erythema, edema, and soft tissue crusting lasting 5-7 days. There were no instances of infection, scarring or hypopigmentation. There were two instances of temporary hyperpigmentation. Treatment with the novel 2910 nm fiber laser is safe and effective in treating advanced photoaging and rhytides. Three treatments produced moderate to marked improvement with high patient satisfaction and treatment was associated with less discomfort and downtime compared to conventional fractional ablative lasers.

Passively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser with single and double wavelength pulses based on germanene saturable absorber

In this paper, we focus on the single crystal material germanium (Ge), which is fabricated into saturable absorbers (SAs) employing liquid phase exfoliation, and validate it with an erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL). The Ge SA was obtained with a modulation depth of 9.8% and a saturation intensity of 11.02 MW cm−2. The single-wavelength mode-locked pulse with a minimum pulse width of 847 fs was obtained at a cavity length of 10.5 m. In addition, at a cavity length of 106 m, a dual-wavelength mode-locked phenomenon was obtained in which the central wavelengths were located at 1559.20 nm and 1561.31 nm. The experimental results show that Ge nanosheets in an EDFL provide a strong basis for the development of nonlinear optics and have a wide range of applications in the field of pulsed fiber lasers.

Compound four-cavity single-longitudinal mode fiber laser

A compound resonant cavity-type single longitudinal mode erbium-doped fiber laser is proposed and verified in this paper. We use a compound four-cavity to expand the longitudinal mode spacing of the laser and a homemade grating F-P filter and a saturable absorber to narrow the gain spectral bandwidth, enabling the laser to operate in a single-frequency state. Through theoretical analysis and experimental verification of the important roles of the main constructed fiber laser parts, the center wavelength of the laser output of 1550.06 nm is obtained, and the optical signal-to-noise ratio is 65 dB. In a 50 minute period, the wavelength fluctuation is exhibited along with the maximum power fluctuation of 0.28 dB. The value of the laser output linewidth is ∼250 Hz, measured by using the delayed self-heterodyne method.