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Transform-limited pulses generated by an actively Q-switched distributed fiber laser
C Cuadrado-Laborde1, P Pérez-Millán, M V Andrés
1Departamento de Física Aplicada y Electromagnetismo, Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales de la Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Spain. Christian.Cuadrado@uv.es
Optics Letters
|November 19, 2008
Summary
This study presents a new fiber laser using an acoustic pulse generator for adjustable repetition rates. The laser achieves high peak power and transform-limited optical pulses, enabling efficient spontaneous Brillouin scattering.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Laser Technology
- Acousto-Optic Devices
Background:
- Active Q-switching is crucial for generating high-power, short optical pulses.
- Distributed-feedback (DFB) fiber lasers offer stable, single-mode operation.
- Controlling repetition rates in Q-switched lasers is essential for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel actively Q-switched DFB fiber laser.
- To demonstrate a new in-line acoustic pulse generator for precise repetition rate control.
- To characterize the laser's output performance, including peak power, pulse width, linewidth, and repetition rate.
Main Methods:
- Development of an in-line acoustic pulse generator.
- Integration of the generator with a DFB fiber laser cavity.
- Active Q-switching modulation of the laser cavity's Q factor.
- Characterization of optical pulse parameters (peak power, temporal width, repetition rate) and spectral linewidth.
Main Results:
- Achieved optical pulses with 800 mW peak power and 32 ns temporal width.
- Demonstrated continuous adjustment of the repetition rate up to 20 kHz.
- Measured transform-limited linewidth of 6 MHz at 10 kHz repetition rate.
- Confirmed efficient excitation of spontaneous Brillouin scattering.
Conclusions:
- The developed fiber laser system offers a versatile platform for generating high-quality, tunable optical pulses.
- The in-line acoustic pulse generator provides effective modulation of the laser's Q factor.
- The laser's performance characteristics are suitable for applications requiring precise optical pulse generation and efficient nonlinear light-matter interactions.
