1.38-µm mode-locked Raman fiber laser pumped by semiconductor disk laser

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Conventional Raman fiber lasers often rely on complex pumping schemes.
• Semiconductor disk lasers offer high power and excellent beam quality.
• The spectral versatility of semiconductor gain materials enables tunable laser operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a mode-locked Raman fiber laser directly pumped by a 1.3 µm semiconductor disk laser.
• To present a practical, watt-level core-pumping solution for fiber Raman lasers and amplifiers.
• To investigate the generation of ultrashort pulses using nonlinear polarization evolution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 1.3 µm semiconductor disk laser for direct core-pumping.
• Employed passive mode-locking via nonlinear polarization evolution.
• Operated the Raman laser in the normal dispersion regime.

Main Results:

• Achieved stable, pedestal-free 1.97 ps pulses at 1.38 µm.
• Demonstrated watt-level output power.
• Showcased the practicality of direct core-pumping compared to wavelength converters.

Conclusions:

• Direct watt-level core-pumping with low-noise disk lasers is a highly practical solution.
• Semiconductor disk lasers enable Raman gain at various wavelengths due to spectral versatility.
• The developed laser offers a robust platform for generating ultrashort pulses.