Recent advances in acoustically controlled all-fiber lasers

CUADRADO LABORDE, CHRISTIAN; DIEZ, ANTONIO; CRUZ, JOSE LUIS; ANDRES BOU, MIGUEL

Integrated Microsystems: Electronics, Photonics, and Biotechnology

CRC Press

Lugar: New York; Año: 2011; p. 427 - 454

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:200%; mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:Times; mso-hansi-font-family:Times;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> The interest of all-fiber lasers is stimulated by the inherent advantages they have over bulk lasers in aspects such as heat dissipation and robustness. The performance of Q-switched and modelocked fiber lasers can benefit highly from the development of all-fiber configurations, since when a bulk-intracavity component is used many interesting features are lost. Earlier and subsequent demonstrations of active Q-switching (QS) or mode-locking (ML) of fiber lasers were based on the use of bulk external modulators; however this procedure has important drawbacks. On the one hand, it may not fulfill the requirements for mechanical stability that most practical systems need due to alignment problems and, on the other hand, it increases the cavity losses which reduces the laser efficiency. A fiber laser with strictly all-fiber components can fulfill the requirements for increasing mechanical stability, low maintenance, enhanced power efficiency, high peak power damage and simplified assembly process. In this framework, recently developed in-fiber acoustooptic devices have demonstrated new possibilities for actively Q-switched distributed feedback fiber lasers (QS-DFB), continuous wave mode-locking lasers (CW-ML) and doubly-active Q-switched mode-locking (QML). Here we illustrate the new possibilities arising from the interaction of light with acoustic pulses and harmonic acoustic waves.