Mode-locked fiber laser based on chalcogenide microwires.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Laser Technology
• Materials Science
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Mode-locked fiber lasers are crucial for various applications requiring ultrashort pulses.
• Traditional fiber lasers often face limitations in cavity size and mode-locking threshold.
• Chalcogenide microwires offer unique nonlinear optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the first mode-locked fiber laser utilizing a chalcogenide microwire as the nonlinear medium.
• To investigate the laser's ability to generate solitons and noise-like pulses.
• To explore the potential for multiwavelength operation using controlled birefringence.

Main Methods:

• Passive mode-locking was achieved through nonlinear polarization rotation.
• A chalcogenide microwire served as the saturable absorber and nonlinear medium.
• Controlled birefringence and a linear polarizer facilitated multiwavelength operation.

Main Results:

• The laser achieved mode-locking at a microwatt threshold.
• Cavity length was reduced by four orders of magnitude compared to similar lasers.
• Tunable central wavelength, switchable wavelength separation, and variable number of wavelengths were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• Chalcogenide microwire lasers offer a highly efficient and compact solution for mode-locked fiber lasers.
• The developed laser architecture provides versatile control over pulse characteristics and multiwavelength emission.
• This technology opens new avenues for compact, tunable, and multiwavelength laser sources.