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All-fiber polarization locked vector soliton laser using carbon nanotubes
1Photonics Research Group, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham, UK, B4 7ET. mouc1@aston.ac.uk
Optics Letters
|October 4, 2011
Summary
This study demonstrates polarization locked vector solitons using an all-fiber laser with carbon nanotube film. The laser utilizes standard components for efficient soliton generation.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Mode-locked fiber lasers are crucial for generating ultrashort optical pulses.
- Carbon nanotube (CNT) materials offer unique nonlinear optical properties for laser applications.
- Polarization-locked vector solitons are advanced optical phenomena with potential in high-speed communications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robust and cost-effective all-fiber laser system for generating polarization-locked vector solitons.
- To investigate the performance of a carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer composite film as a saturable absorber in an erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL).
Main Methods:
- An all-fiber mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) cavity was constructed using standard telecommunication-grade components.
- A carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer composite film was integrated into the laser cavity to act as the mode-locking element.
- The laser's output characteristics, including pulse duration, average power, pulse energy, repetition rate, and polarization states, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The laser successfully generated polarization-locked vector solitons.
- The generated solitons had a duration of approximately 583 femtoseconds (fs).
- The laser achieved an average output power of approximately 3 milliwatts (mW), corresponding to a pulse energy of 118 picojoules (pJ) at a repetition rate of approximately 25.7 megahertz (MHz).
Conclusions:
- The integration of a CNT polymer composite film enables robust polarization-locked vector soliton generation in an all-fiber EDFL.
- The use of standard telecom components simplifies the laser design and reduces complexity.
- This work presents a cost-effective approach for generating high-quality optical solitons for potential applications in optical communications and nonlinear optics.
