Switching and passive mode-locking of fiber lasers using nonlinear loop mirrors (Invited Paper)

摘要

Ultrafast all-optical, fiber optic switches are of great interest as all-optical signal processing elements in telecommunication systems and as passive mode-lockers for all-fiber mode-lock lasers. We describe the operation and characteristics of two such switches, the conventional and amplifying Sagnac switch, and describe the use of these components in a recently developed, passive, self-starting, mode-locked erbium doped fiber laser capable of the generation of solitons with durations as short as 320 femtoseconds.