Compact Brillouin-erbium fiber laser

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Laser Technology
• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Brillouin fiber lasers (BFLs) are crucial for various applications.
• The extended L-band (1565–1625 nm) offers significant potential for optical communications.
• Developing efficient gain media for L-band BFLs remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate, for the first time, a single-wavelength Brillouin fiber laser (BFL) operating in the extended L-band.
• To utilize bismuth-based erbium-doped fiber (Bi-EDF) as a gain medium for L-band BFL generation.
• To characterize the performance of the developed L-band BFL.

Main Methods:

• A 2.15-m-long bismuth-based erbium-doped fiber (Bi-EDF) was employed as the gain medium.
• The Bi-EDF provided both nonlinear gain for stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) generation and linear gain for amplification.
• The laser cavity was designed to operate in the extended L-band region.

Main Results:

• A single-wavelength BFL was successfully demonstrated at 1613.93 nm.
• The laser operated with a Brillouin pump upshift of 0.09 nm.
• The laser exhibited a peak power of 2 dBm and a side-mode suppression ratio exceeding 22 dB.
• The generated BFL possessed a narrow linewidth.

Conclusions:

• Bismuth-based erbium-doped fiber (Bi-EDF) is a viable gain medium for generating Brillouin fiber lasers in the extended L-band.
• The developed L-band BFL shows promising characteristics for applications in optical communication and sensing.
• This work represents a significant advancement in L-band fiber laser technology.