Search Results (9)

Fibre lasers are distinct in that their optical train is decoupled from the environment, especially in the all-fibre format. The attractive side of this decoupling is the simplicity of maintenance (no need to align the cavity or keep the optical elements clean), but the flip side of this is the difficulty one encounters when trying to control the output parameters. The components used in all-fibre laser cavities are usually different from those of free-space laser cavities and require new approaches to control. Essentially, an important task emerges, i.e., research and development of all-fibre laser components able to adjust their parameters (ideally by electronic means) in order to tune key parameters of the output radiation—wavelength, output power, and so on. The present review analyses the existing methods of control over the output parameters of mode-locked all-fibre lasers. It is further noted that a method relying on several independently pumped active media may be promising in this regard. Full article

Methods of output wavelength tuning in short-pulsed fibre lasers are analysed. Many of them rely on spectral selection principles long used in other types of lasers. For compatibility with the fibre-optical format, the corresponding elements are sealed in compact, airtight volumes with fibre-optical radiation input and output. A conclusion is presented about the relatively small number of inherently “fibre-optical” ways of tuning the wavelength of radiation. It is demonstrated that the range of output wavelength tuning in short-pulsed fibre lasers may span hundreds of nanometres (even without extension beyond the active medium gain contour through nonlinear effects). From the presented review results, it may be concluded that the search for the optimal tuning method complying with the user-preferred all-PM-fibre short-pulsed laser design is not yet complete. Full article

This research demonstrated an ultrafast passively mode-locked thulium-holmium doped fibre laser (THDFL) using a carbon nanotube (CNT)-chitin composite film as a saturable absorber (SA). The CNTs were fabricated using ultrasonic-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation, and the chitin biopolymer was derived from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus Ostreatus). The free-standing SA successfully performed a mode-locking operation at a threshold input pump power of 203 mW with an operating wavelength of 1908.53 nm. The generated mode-locked pulses had repetition rate, pulse width, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of 16 MHz, 1.1 ps, and 69 dB, respectively. The work demonstrates the potential of CNTs embedded in chitin biopolymer as a sustainable and environmentally friendly SA for a wide range of applications, particularly for pulsed lasers. Full article

There is a growing demand for higher computational speed and energy efficiency of machine learning approaches and, in particular, neural networks. Optical implementation of neural networks can address this challenge. Compared to other neuromorphic platforms, fibre-based technologies can unlock a wide bandwidth window and offer flexibility in dimensionality and complexity. Moreover, fibre represents a well-studied, low-cost and low-loss material, widely used for signal processing and transmission. At the same time, mode-locked fibre lasers offer flexibility and control, while the mode-locking effect can be crucial for unlocking ultra-short timescales and providing ultra-fast processing. Here, we propose a mode-locked fibre laser with a non-linear power threshold in both power and spectrum. The advantage of the proposed system is a spectrum width two-branch function dependent on the input signal power. The effect is caused by a transition between two operating regimes and is governed by the input signal power. The proposed design enables receiving a non-linear transfer function in amplitude with a power threshold as an optical analogue of biological neurons with the additional advantage of a non-linear two-branch transfer function in spectrum width. The latter property is similar to the frequency-varied response dependent on stimulus properties in biological neurons. Thus, our work opens new avenues in research into novel types of artificial neurons with a frequency spectrum width variable response and, consequently, spiking neural networks and neural-rate-based coding with potential applications in optical communications and networks with flexible bandwidth, such as 5G and emerging 6G. Full article

Gyroscopes merit an undeniable role in inertial navigation systems, geodesy and seismology. By employing the optical Sagnac effect, ring laser gyroscopes provide exceptionally accurate measurements of even ultraslow angular velocity with a resolution up to 10${}^{-11}$ rad/s. With the recent advancement of ultrafast fibre lasers and, particularly, enabling effective bidirectional generation, their applications have been expanded to the areas of dual-comb spectroscopy and gyroscopy. Exceptional compactness, maintenance-free operation and rather low cost make ultrafast fibre lasers attractive for sensing applications. Remarkably, laser gyroscope operation in the ultrashort pulse generation regime presents a promising approach for eliminating sensing limitations caused by the synchronisation of counter-propagating channels, the most critical of which is frequency lock-in. In this work, we overview the fundamentals of gyroscopic sensing and ultrafast fibre lasers to bridge the gap between tools development and their real-world applications. This article provides a historical outline, highlights the most recent advancements and discusses perspectives for the expanding field of ultrafast fibre laser gyroscopes. We acknowledge the bottlenecks and deficiencies of the presented ultrafast laser gyroscope concepts due to intrinsic physical effects or currently available measurement methodology. Finally, the current work outlines solutions for further ultrafast laser technology development to translate to future commercial gyroscopes. Full article

Benefiting from ultrafast temporal resolution, broadband spectral bandwidth, as well as high peak power, passively mode-locked fibre lasers have attracted growing interest and exhibited great potential from fundamental sciences to industrial and military applications. As a nonlinear system containing complex interactions from gain, loss, nonlinearity, dispersion, etc., ultrafast fibre lasers deliver not only conventional single soliton but also soliton bunching with different types. In analogy to molecules consisting of several atoms in chemistry, soliton molecules (in other words, bound solitons) in fibre lasers are of vital importance for in-depth understanding of the nonlinear interaction mechanism and further exploration for high-capacity fibre-optic communications. In this Review, we summarize the state-of-the-art advances on soliton molecules in ultrafast fibre lasers. A variety of soliton molecules with different numbers of soliton, phase-differences and pulse separations were experimentally observed owing to the flexibility of parameters such as mode-locking techniques and dispersion control. Numerical simulations clearly unravel how different nonlinear interactions contribute to formation of soliton molecules. Analysis of the stability and the underlying physical mechanisms of bound solitons bring important insights to this field. For a complete view of nonlinear optical phenomena in fibre lasers, other dissipative states such as vibrating soliton pairs, soliton rains, rogue waves and coexisting dissipative solitons are also discussed. With development of advanced real-time detection techniques, the internal motion of different pulsing states is anticipated to be characterized, rendering fibre lasers a versatile platform for nonlinear complex dynamics and various practical applications. Full article

Fibre lasers are light sources that are synonymous with stability. They can give rise to highly coherent continuous-wave radiation, or a stable train of mode locked pulses with well-defined characteristics. However, they can also exhibit an exceedingly diverse range of nonlinear operational regimes spanning a multi-dimensional parameter space. The complex nature of the dynamics poses significant challenges in the theoretical and experimental studies of such systems. Here, we demonstrate how the real-time experimental methodology of spatio-temporal dynamics can be used to unambiguously identify and discern between such highly complex lasing regimes. This two-dimensional representation of laser intensity allows the identification and tracking of individual features embedded in the radiation as they make round-trip circulations inside the cavity. The salient features of this methodology are highlighted by its application to the case of Raman fibre lasers and a partially mode locked ring fibre laser operating in the normal dispersion regime. Full article

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are an emergent and promising platform for future photonic and optoelectronic applications. Here, we review recent progress demonstrating the application of 2D nanomaterials as versatile, wideband saturable absorbers for Q-switching and mode-locking fibre lasers. We focus specifically on the family of few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides, including MoS₂, MoSe₂ and WS₂. Full article

We review our recent progress on the realisation of pulse shaping in passively-mode-locked fibre lasers by inclusion of an amplitude and/or phase spectral filter into the laser cavity. We numerically show that depending on the amplitude transfer function of the in-cavity filter, various regimes of advanced waveform generation can be achieved, including ones featuring parabolic-, flat-top- and triangular-profiled pulses. An application of this approach using a flat-top spectral filter is shown to achieve the direct generation of high-quality sinc-shaped optical Nyquist pulses with a widely tunable bandwidth from the laser oscillator. We also present the operation of an ultrafast fibre laser in which conventional soliton, dispersion-managed soliton (stretched-pulse) and dissipative soliton mode-locking regimes can be selectively and reliably targeted by adaptively changing the dispersion profile and bandwidth programmed on an in-cavity programmable filter. The results demonstrate the strong potential of an in-cavity spectral pulse shaper for achieving a high degree of control over the dynamics and output of mode-locked fibre lasers. Full article