A new multiwavelength Erbium-doped fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. The intensity-dependent loss induced by nonlinear polarization rotation in a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) suppresses the mode competition of an Erbium-doped fiber and ensures stable multiwavelength operation at room temperature. The polarization state and its evolution conditions for stable multiwavelength operation in the ring laser cavity are discussed. The number and spectra region of output wavelength can be controlled by adjusting the work states of NOLM.

© 2009 OSA

1. A. Bellemare, M. Karasek, M. Rochette, S. A. L. S. Lrochelle, and M. A. T. M. Tetu, “Room temperature multifrequency erbium-doped fiber lasers anchored on the ITU Tetu, frequency grid,” J. Lightwave Technol. 18(6), 825–831 (2000).
2. C. L. Zhao, X. F. Yang, C. Lu, N. J. Hong, X. Guo, P. R. Chaudhuri, and X. Y. Dong, “Switchable multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber lasers by using cascaded fiber Bragg gratings written in high birefringence fiber,” Opt. Commun. 230(4-6), 313–317 (2004).
3. X. M. Liu, X. Q. Zhou, and C. Lu, “Four-wave mixing assisted stability enhancement: theory, experiment, and application,” Opt. Lett. 30(17), 2257–2259 (2005). [PubMed]
4. X. H. Feng, H. Y. Tam, and P. K. A. Wai, “Stable and uniform multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser using nonlinear polarization rotation,” Opt. Express 14(18), 8205–8210 (2006). [PubMed]
5. Z. X. Zhang, L. Zhan, K. Xu, J. Wu, Y. X. Xia, and J. T. Lin, “Multiwavelength fiber laser with fine adjustment, based on nonlinear polarization rotation and birefringence fiber filter,” Opt. Lett. 33(4), 324–326 (2008). [PubMed]
6. Z. X. Zhang, L. Zhan, and Y. X. Xia, “Tunable self-seeded multiwavelength Brillouin-Erbium fiber laser with enhanced power efficiency,” Opt. Express 15(15), 9731–9736 (2007). [PubMed]
7. X. H. Feng, H. Y. Tam, H. L. Liu, and P. K. A. Wai, “Multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser employing a nonlinear optical loop mirror,” Opt. Commun. 268(2), 278–281 (2006).
8. Z. X. Zhang, K. Xu, J. Wu, X. B. Hong, and J. T. Lin, “Multiwavelength figure-of-eight fiber laser with a nonlinear optical loop mirror,” Laser Phys. Lett. 5(3), 213–216 (2008).
9. E. A. Kuzin, J. A. Andrade-Lucio, B. Ibarra Escamilla, R. Rojas-Laguna, and J. Sanchez-Mondragon, “Nonlinear optical loop mirror using the nonlinear polarization rotation effect,” Opt. Commun. 144(1-3), 60–64 (1997).
10. N. J. Doran and D. Wood, “Nonlinear-optical loop mirror,” Opt. Lett. 13(1), 56–58 (1988). [PubMed]
11. E. A. Kuzin, N. Korneev, J. W. Haus, and B. Ibarra-Escamilla, “Theory of nonlinear loop mirrors with twisted low-birefringence fiber,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 18(7), 919–925 (2001).
12. O. Pottiez, E. A. Kuzin, B. Ibarra-Escamilla, and F. Méndez-Martínez, “Theoretical investigation of the NOLM with highly twisted fibre and a λ/4 birefringence bias,” Opt. Commun. 254(1-3), 152–167 (2005).

J. Lightwave Technol.

• A. Bellemare, M. Karasek, M. Rochette, S. A. L. S. Lrochelle, and M. A. T. M. Tetu, “Room temperature multifrequency erbium-doped fiber lasers anchored on the ITU Tetu, frequency grid,” J. Lightwave Technol. 18(6), 825–831 (2000).

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• E. A. Kuzin, N. Korneev, J. W. Haus, and B. Ibarra-Escamilla, “Theory of nonlinear loop mirrors with twisted low-birefringence fiber,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 18(7), 919–925 (2001).

Laser Phys. Lett.

• Z. X. Zhang, K. Xu, J. Wu, X. B. Hong, and J. T. Lin, “Multiwavelength figure-of-eight fiber laser with a nonlinear optical loop mirror,” Laser Phys. Lett. 5(3), 213–216 (2008).

Opt. Commun.

• E. A. Kuzin, J. A. Andrade-Lucio, B. Ibarra Escamilla, R. Rojas-Laguna, and J. Sanchez-Mondragon, “Nonlinear optical loop mirror using the nonlinear polarization rotation effect,” Opt. Commun. 144(1-3), 60–64 (1997).
• X. H. Feng, H. Y. Tam, H. L. Liu, and P. K. A. Wai, “Multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser employing a nonlinear optical loop mirror,” Opt. Commun. 268(2), 278–281 (2006).
• C. L. Zhao, X. F. Yang, C. Lu, N. J. Hong, X. Guo, P. R. Chaudhuri, and X. Y. Dong, “Switchable multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber lasers by using cascaded fiber Bragg gratings written in high birefringence fiber,” Opt. Commun. 230(4-6), 313–317 (2004).
• O. Pottiez, E. A. Kuzin, B. Ibarra-Escamilla, and F. Méndez-Martínez, “Theoretical investigation of the NOLM with highly twisted fibre and a λ/4 birefringence bias,” Opt. Commun. 254(1-3), 152–167 (2005).

Opt. Express

• X. H. Feng, H. Y. Tam, and P. K. A. Wai, “Stable and uniform multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser using nonlinear polarization rotation,” Opt. Express 14(18), 8205–8210 (2006). [PubMed]
• Z. X. Zhang, L. Zhan, and Y. X. Xia, “Tunable self-seeded multiwavelength Brillouin-Erbium fiber laser with enhanced power efficiency,” Opt. Express 15(15), 9731–9736 (2007). [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• N. J. Doran and D. Wood, “Nonlinear-optical loop mirror,” Opt. Lett. 13(1), 56–58 (1988). [PubMed]
• Z. X. Zhang, L. Zhan, K. Xu, J. Wu, Y. X. Xia, and J. T. Lin, “Multiwavelength fiber laser with fine adjustment, based on nonlinear polarization rotation and birefringence fiber filter,” Opt. Lett. 33(4), 324–326 (2008). [PubMed]
• X. M. Liu, X. Q. Zhou, and C. Lu, “Four-wave mixing assisted stability enhancement: theory, experiment, and application,” Opt. Lett. 30(17), 2257–2259 (2005). [PubMed]

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Mode-Hop-Free Single-Longitudinal-Mode Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser Frequency Scanned With a Fiber Ring Resonator (AO)
• Complex-cubic Ginzburg–Landau equation-based model for erbium-doped fiber-amplifier-supported nonreturn-to-zero communications (JOSAB)
• Regular and chaotic dynamics of periodically amplified picosecond solitons (JOSAB)
• Nonlinear mode investigation in optical pulse propagation under periodic amplification and filtering (JOSAB)
• Waveband-tunable multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser (AO)

Related Conference Papers

• Impact of nonlinear pump interactions on broadband distributed Raman amplification
• Extending the l-band to 1620 nm using MCS fiber
• Erbium lanthanum co-doped fiber for L-band amplifier with high efficiency, low non-linearity and low NF
• Fusion Spliceable and High Efficient Bi2O3-based EDF for Short-length and Broadband Application Pumped at 1480 nm.
• High power gain-clamped EDFAs with flat gain