All-PM wavelength-tunable and harmonically mode-locking Yb-doped fiber laser

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Fiber lasers are crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Achieving wavelength tunability and high performance in fiber lasers remains an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel wavelength-tunable harmonically mode-locked dissipative soliton fiber laser.
• To demonstrate precise wavelength tuning and high-performance characteristics using a simple all-polarization-maintaining (all-PM) cavity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a high-speed intensity modulator within an all-PM fiber laser cavity.
• Employed a pulse pattern generator (PPG) to control mode-locking frequency and achieve wavelength tuning.
• Characterized laser output for wavelength range, tuning accuracy, degree of polarization, pulse width, and energy.

Main Results:

• Achieved wavelength tunability from 1029.35 to 1079.25 nm.
• Demonstrated linear wavelength tuning accuracy of 0.0093 nm/kHz.
• Obtained a high degree of polarization (98.969%) and a pulse FWHM of 30.1 ps.
• Reached an intracavity pulse energy of 5.41 nJ.
• Tuned harmonic mode-locking repetition rates from ~33.346 to ~366.806 MHz by adjusting PPG frequency and data length.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber laser offers precise, wide-range wavelength tunability.
• The simple all-PM cavity design ensures high polarization stability and performance.
• This laser system presents a versatile platform for applications requiring tunable ultrashort pulses.