Widely tunable silicon-fiber laser at 2  µm

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Integrated Optics
• Laser Technology

Background:

• The 2 µm spectral region is vital for applications like sensing, spectroscopy, and optical communications.
• Developing widely tunable and stable laser sources in this band is a key research objective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a widely tunable hybrid silicon-fiber laser operating in the 2 µm band.
• To integrate a silicon-based Vernier filter into a fiber laser for enhanced wavelength tunability.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid laser architecture combining silicon photonics and fiber laser technology was designed.
• A silicon-integrated Vernier filter was incorporated into the fiber laser cavity.
• Wavelength tuning, output power, linewidth, and side-mode suppression were characterized.

Main Results:

• Continuous wavelength tuning over a 100 nm range (1970–2070 nm) was achieved.
• Fiber-coupled output power reached up to 28 mW.
• A narrow linewidth (<260 kHz) and high side-mode-suppression ratio (>40 dB) were maintained across the tuning range.

Conclusions:

• The demonstrated hybrid silicon-fiber laser offers a promising solution for tunable light sources in the 2 µm spectral region.
• The integration of silicon photonics with fiber lasers enables versatile and high-performance optical systems.
• This technology has significant potential for advancements in spectroscopy, sensing, and optical communication systems.