Study of lateral-drilled DBR fiber laser and its responsivity to external refractive index

We report a lateral-drilled DBR fiber laser which contains a defective parabola-like opening inside the cavity fabricated by the CO₂-laser exposure and study the laser responsivity to external refractive index (RI). Surrounding materials can readily reach the vicinity of the fiber core via the opening and interact with the laser mode. Research shows that the laser emission power mainly relies on changes of external RI while the lasing wavelength on temperature. The effects of structural parameters, pump power, and external refractive index on the RI responsivity of the device are demonstrated. The lasing threshold condition is also concerned. This work provides an opportunity for controlling emission characteristics of the DBR fiber laser through modification of external RI value, of which the results are valuable for the potential applications in optical sensing, tunable lasing, and etc.