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Low-cost Custom Fabrication and Mode-locked Operation of an All-normal-dispersion Femtosecond Fiber Laser for Multiphoton Microscopy
Published on: November 22, 2019
Frequency-modulated cavity-dumped Nd-doped fiber laser.
1Polaroid Corporation, 38 Henry Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Optics Letters
|September 24, 2009
Summary
This study demonstrates a fiber laser generating high-peak-power pulses using piezoelectric modulation and an external cavity. This technique significantly amplifies output power for advanced laser applications.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Fiber Laser Technology
- Nonlinear Optics
Background:
- Continuous-wave (cw) fiber lasers offer stable operation but limited peak power.
- Piezoelectric modulation and external cavities are known methods to alter laser dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the generation of high-intensity laser pulses from a fiber laser system.
- To explore the effects of piezoelectric modulation and external cavity feedback on laser output.
Main Methods:
- A continuous-wave (cw) pumped Neodymium-doped (Nd-doped) single-mode double-clad fiber laser was coiled around a resonant piezoelectric ceramic ring.
- The fiber laser was coupled to an external cavity with strong feedback.
- Pump power and piezoelectric drive voltage were systematically varied.
Main Results:
- Intensity laser pulses with durations of 1-2 microseconds were observed.
- Peak powers up to 25 times greater than average powers were achieved.
- The phenomenon was attributed to strong phase modulation inducing FM laser oscillation.
Conclusions:
- Piezoelectric modulation combined with an external cavity can effectively enhance fiber laser peak power.
- The external cavity acts as a frequency-dependent reflector, enabling effective cavity dumping.
- This method presents a viable approach for generating high-peak-power pulsed fiber laser output.
