Presented herein is the use of an ultrafast Si-based variable optical attenuator (VOA) as a Q-switch for rare earth-doped fiber lasers. The ultrafast VOA is based on a forward-biased p-i-n diode integrated with a ridge waveguide, which was originally designed and optimized for WDM channel power equalization in optical communication systems. By incorporating a Si-based VOA with a transient time of ~410 ns into an erbium-doped fiber-based Fabry-Perot cavity it has been shown that stable Q-switched pulses possessing a temporal width of less than ~86 ns can be readily obtained at a repetition rate of up to ~1 MHz. The laser’s peak power of ~38 W is shown to be obtainable at 20 kHz with a slope efficiency of ~21%.

© 2011 OSA

1. D. J. Richardson, J. Nilsson, and W. A. Clarkson, “High power fiber lasers: current status and future perspectives,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B27(11), B63–B92 (2010). [CrossRef]
2. R. Paschotta, R. Häring, E. Gini, H. Melchior, U. Keller, H. L. Offerhaus, and D. J. Richardson, “Passively Q-switched 0.1-mJ fiber laser system at 1.53 mum,” Opt. Lett.24(6), 388–390 (1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. Z. J. Chen, A. B. Grudinin, J. Porta, and J. D. Minelly, “Enhanced Q switching in double-clad fiber lasers,” Opt. Lett.23(6), 454–456 (1998). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. A. F. El-Sherif and T. A. King, “High-energy, high-brightness Q-switched Tm3+-doped fiber laser using an electro-optic modulator,” Opt. Commun.218(4–6), 337–344 (2003). [CrossRef]
5. D. Huang, W. Liu, and C. C. Yang, “Q-switched all-fiber laser with an acoustically modulated fiber attenuator,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.12(9), 1153–1155 (2000). [CrossRef]
6. Y. Joeng, Y. Kim, A. Liem, K. Moerl, S. Hoefer, A. Tuennermann, and K. Oh, “Q-switching of Yb3+-doped fiber laser using a novel micro-optical wavelength on micro-actuating platform light modulator,” Opt. Express13(25), 10302–10309 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. P. Pérez-Millán, A. Díez, M. V. Andrés, D. Zalvidea, and R. Duchowicz, “Q-switched all-fiber laser based on magnetostriction modulation of a Bragg grating,” Opt. Express13(13), 5046–5051 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. A. Creunteanu, D. Bouyge, D. Sabourdy, P. Blondy, V. couderc, L. Grossard, P. H. Pioger, and A. barthelemy, “Deformable micro-electro-mechanical mirror integration in a fibre laser Q-switch system,” J. Opt. A, Pure Appl. Opt.8, S347–S351 (2006).
9. K. Kieu and M. Mansuripur, “Active Q switching of a fiber laser with a microsphere resonator,” Opt. Lett.31(24), 3568–3570 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. F. Bammer and R. Petkovsek, “Q-switching of a fiber laser with a single crystal photo-elastic modulator,” Opt. Express15(10), 6177–6182 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. R. J. Williams, N. Jovanovic, G. D. Marshall, and M. J. Withford, “All-optical, actively Q-switched fiber laser,” Opt. Express18(8), 7714–7723 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. C. Lee, “A MEMS VOA using electrothermal actuators,” J. Lightwave Technol.25(2), 490–498 (2007). [CrossRef]
13. Y.-H. Wu, Y.-H. Lin, Y.-Q. Lu, H. Ren, Y.-H. Fan, J. Wu, and S.-T. Wu, “Submillisecond response variable optical attenuator based on sheared polymer network liquid crystal,” Opt. Express12(25), 6382–6389 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. M. Asghari, “Silicon photonics: a low cost integration platform for datacom and telecom applications,” Proc. OFC/NFOEC’2008, paper NThA4 (2008).
15. R. Soref, “The past, present, and future of silicon photonics,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.12(6), 1678–1687 (2006). [CrossRef]
16. B. Jalali and S. Fathpour, “Silicon photonics,” J. Lightwave Technol.24(12), 4600–4615 (2006). [CrossRef]
17. S. Park, K. Yamada, T. Tsuchizawa, T. Watanabe, H. Shinojima, H. Nishi, R. Kou, and S.-I. Itabashi, “Influence of carrier lifetime on performance of silicon p-i-n variable optical attenuators fabricated on submicrometer rib waveguides,” Opt. Express18(11), 11282–11291 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• R. Soref, “The past, present, and future of silicon photonics,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.12(6), 1678–1687 (2006). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• D. Huang, W. Liu, and C. C. Yang, “Q-switched all-fiber laser with an acoustically modulated fiber attenuator,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.12(9), 1153–1155 (2000). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• B. Jalali and S. Fathpour, “Silicon photonics,” J. Lightwave Technol.24(12), 4600–4615 (2006). [CrossRef]
• C. Lee, “A MEMS VOA using electrothermal actuators,” J. Lightwave Technol.25(2), 490–498 (2007). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. A, Pure Appl. Opt.

• A. Creunteanu, D. Bouyge, D. Sabourdy, P. Blondy, V. couderc, L. Grossard, P. H. Pioger, and A. barthelemy, “Deformable micro-electro-mechanical mirror integration in a fibre laser Q-switch system,” J. Opt. A, Pure Appl. Opt.8, S347–S351 (2006).

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• D. J. Richardson, J. Nilsson, and W. A. Clarkson, “High power fiber lasers: current status and future perspectives,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B27(11), B63–B92 (2010). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• A. F. El-Sherif and T. A. King, “High-energy, high-brightness Q-switched Tm3+-doped fiber laser using an electro-optic modulator,” Opt. Commun.218(4–6), 337–344 (2003). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• Y.-H. Wu, Y.-H. Lin, Y.-Q. Lu, H. Ren, Y.-H. Fan, J. Wu, and S.-T. Wu, “Submillisecond response variable optical attenuator based on sheared polymer network liquid crystal,” Opt. Express12(25), 6382–6389 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Park, K. Yamada, T. Tsuchizawa, T. Watanabe, H. Shinojima, H. Nishi, R. Kou, and S.-I. Itabashi, “Influence of carrier lifetime on performance of silicon p-i-n variable optical attenuators fabricated on submicrometer rib waveguides,” Opt. Express18(11), 11282–11291 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Joeng, Y. Kim, A. Liem, K. Moerl, S. Hoefer, A. Tuennermann, and K. Oh, “Q-switching of Yb3+-doped fiber laser using a novel micro-optical wavelength on micro-actuating platform light modulator,” Opt. Express13(25), 10302–10309 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. Pérez-Millán, A. Díez, M. V. Andrés, D. Zalvidea, and R. Duchowicz, “Q-switched all-fiber laser based on magnetostriction modulation of a Bragg grating,” Opt. Express13(13), 5046–5051 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• F. Bammer and R. Petkovsek, “Q-switching of a fiber laser with a single crystal photo-elastic modulator,” Opt. Express15(10), 6177–6182 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. J. Williams, N. Jovanovic, G. D. Marshall, and M. J. Withford, “All-optical, actively Q-switched fiber laser,” Opt. Express18(8), 7714–7723 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• K. Kieu and M. Mansuripur, “Active Q switching of a fiber laser with a microsphere resonator,” Opt. Lett.31(24), 3568–3570 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. Paschotta, R. Häring, E. Gini, H. Melchior, U. Keller, H. L. Offerhaus, and D. J. Richardson, “Passively Q-switched 0.1-mJ fiber laser system at 1.53 mum,” Opt. Lett.24(6), 388–390 (1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Z. J. Chen, A. B. Grudinin, J. Porta, and J. D. Minelly, “Enhanced Q switching in double-clad fiber lasers,” Opt. Lett.23(6), 454–456 (1998). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• M. Asghari, “Silicon photonics: a low cost integration platform for datacom and telecom applications,” Proc. OFC/NFOEC’2008, paper NThA4 (2008).

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