Wavelength Tunable Pulsed Lasers Enabled by a Versatile Metafiber Functioning as Both Saturable Absorber and Filter

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Wavelength-tunable pulsed lasers are crucial for applications like wavelength-division multiplexing and spectroscopy.
• Existing hybrid laser systems face challenges with coupling losses and complex alignment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact and robust wavelength-tunable pulsed laser.
• To address the limitations of conventional hybrid laser architectures.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a 2D metafiber with a 3D Fabry-Perot interferometer into a monolithic fiber-based component.
• Utilizing a metafiber Fabry-Perot structure as a saturable absorber and tunable filter.
• Achieving wavelength tuning via temperature/refractive index modulation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated Q-switching operation in the telecommunication band.
• Achieved approximately 10 nm of dynamic wavelength tuning.
• The monolithic design circumvents structural complexity and alignment issues.

Conclusions:

• The proposed metafiber Fabry-Perot laser offers a simplified and stable solution for wavelength-tunable pulsed lasers.
• This approach presents a promising pathway for advanced laser applications requiring precise spectral control.