Pulse generation without gain-bandwidth limitation in a laser with self-similar evolution

Year: 2012

Authors: Chong A., Liu H., Nie B., Bale B.G., Wabnitz S., Renninger W.H., Dantus M., Wise F.W.

Autors Affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States; Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Photonics Research Group, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom; Department of Information Engineering, Universit à di Brescia, Brescia, Italy

Abstract: With existing techniques for mode-locking, the bandwidth of ultrashort pulses from a laser is determined primarily by the spectrum of the gain medium. Lasers with self-similar evolution of the pulse in the gain medium can tolerate strong spectral breathing, which is stabilized by nonlinear attraction to the parabolic self-similar pulse. Here we show that this property can be exploited in a fiber laser to eliminate the gain-bandwidth limitation to the pulse duration. Broad (~200 nm) spectra are generated through passive nonlinear propagation in a normal-dispersion laser, and these can be dechirped to ~20-fs duration.

Journal/Review: OPTICS EXPRESS

Volume: 20 (13)      Pages from: 14213  to: 14220

More Information: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (ECCS-0901323 and CHE-1014538 Early-Concept Grant for Exploratory Research) and the National Institutes of Health (EB002019). The authors thank D. Pestov for valuable comments.
KeyWords: Bandwidth; Fiber lasers; Pulse generators, Gain bandwidth; Gain medium; Modelocking; Nonlinear propagation; Pulse durations; Pulse generation; Self-similar, Mode-locked fiber lasers, article; computer aided design; equipment; equipment design; fiber optics; instrumentation; laser; signal processing, Computer-Aided Design; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Fiber Optic Technology; Lasers; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
DOI: 10.1364/OE.20.014213

Citations: 62
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