Stabilization of simultaneous mode locked operation at two wavelengths

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Fiber Laser Technology
• Optical Communications

Background:

• Mode-locked fiber lasers are crucial for generating ultrashort optical pulses.
• Achieving high repetition rates and dual-wavelength operation simultaneously presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate simultaneous stabilized mode-locked operation of a ring fiber laser at two distinct wavelengths.
• To achieve high pulse repetition rates (10 GHz and 40 GHz) for advanced applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a ring fiber laser with an intracavity Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3) modulator.
• Employed rational harmonic mode locking to achieve the 40 GHz repetition rate.
• Stabilized operation at 10 GHz and 40 GHz for two distinct wavelengths.

Main Results:

• Successfully achieved simultaneous stabilized mode-locked operation at two wavelengths.
• Demonstrated 10 GHz operation at one wavelength and 40 GHz at another.
• Obtained optical pulses with durations ranging from 5 to 8 picoseconds (ps).
• Further demonstrated 40 GHz mode-locking for both wavelengths.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber laser architecture enables high-repetition-rate, dual-wavelength operation.
• This technology holds potential for applications in optical sampling, high-speed communications, and spectroscopy.
• The rational harmonic mode locking technique is effective for achieving multi-GHz repetition rates in fiber lasers.