Wavelength-interval switchable Brillouin–Raman random fiber laser through Brillouin pump manipulation

A wavelength-interval switchable Brillouin–Raman random fiber laser(BRRFL) based on Brillouin pump(BP) manipulation is proposed in this paper. The proposed wavelength-interval switchable BRRFL has a full-open cavity configuration, featuring multiwavelength output with wavelength interval of double Brillouin frequency shifts. Through simultaneously injecting the BP light and its first-order stimulated Brillouin-scattered light into the cavity, the laser output exhibits a wavelength interval of single Brillouin frequency shift. The wavelength-interval switching effect can be manipulated by controlling the power of the first-order stimulated Brillouin scattering light. The experimental results show the multiwavelength output can be switched between double Brillouin frequency shift multiwavelength emission with a broad bandwidth of approximately 60 nm and single Brillouin frequency shift multiwavelength emission of 44 nm. The flexible optically controlled random fiber laser with switchable wavelength interval makes it useful for a wide range of applications and holds significant potential in the field of wavelength-division multiplexing optical communication.

On the generation of high-quality Nyquist pulses in mode-locked fiber lasers

Nyquist pulses have wide applications in many areas,from electronics to optics.Mode-locked lasers are ideal platforms to generate such pulses.However,how to generate high-quality Nyquist pulses in mode-locked lasers remains elusive.We address this problem by managing different physical effects in mode-locked fiber lasers through extensive numerical simulations.We find that net dispersion,linear loss,gain and filter shaping can affect the quality of Nyquist pulses significantly.We also demonstrate that Nyquist pulses experience similariton shaping due to the nonlinear attractor effect in the gain medium.Our work may contribute to the design of Nyquist pulse sources and enrich the understanding of pulse shaping dynamics in mode-locked lasers.

Internal phase control of fiber laser array based on photodetector array

Coherent beam combining(CBC) of fiber laser array is a promising technique to realize high output power while maintaining near diffraction-limited beam quality. To implement CBC, an appropriate phase control feedback structure should be established to realize phase-locking. In this paper, an innovative internal active phase control CBC fiber laser array based on photodetector array is proposed. The dynamic phase noises of the laser amplifiers are compensated before being emitted into free space. And the static phase difference compensation of emitting laser array is realized by interference measurement based on photodetector array. The principle of the technique is illustrated and corresponding simulations are carried out, and a CBC system with four laser channels is built to verify the technique. When the phase controllers are turned on, the phase deviation of the laser array is less than λ/20, and ~ 95% fringe contrast of the irradiation distribution is obtained. The technique proposed in this paper could provide a reference for the system design of a massive high-power CBC system.

Broadband bidirectional Brillouin–Raman random fiber laser with ultra-narrow linewidth

We present a Brillouin–Raman random fiber laser(BRRFL)with full-open linear cavity structure to generate broadband Brillouin frequency comb(BFC)with double Brillouin-frequency-shift spacing.The incorporation of a regeneration portion consisting of an erbium-doped fiber and a single-mode fiber enables the generation of broadband BFC.The dynamics of broadband BFC generation changing with the pump power(EDF and Raman)and Brillouin pump(BP)wavelength are investigated in detail,respectively.Under suitable conditions,the bidirectional BRRFL proposed can produce a flatamplitude BFC with 40.7-nm bandwidth ranging from 1531 nm to 1571.7 nm,and built-in 242-order Brillouin Stokes lines(BSLs)with double Brillouin-frequency-shift spacing.Moreover,the linewidth of single BSL is experimentally measured to be about 2.5 kHz.The broadband bidirectional narrow-linewidth BRRFL has great potential applications in optical communication,optical sensing,spectral measurement,and so on.

Corrigendum to:“Spectrum-tailored random fiber laser towards ICF laser facility”[Matter and Radiation at Extremes 8,025902(2023)]

The third paragraph in Sec.IV REGENERATIVE AMPLIFICATION erroneously states“In other words,the distribution of spectral components is time-dependent,and the spectral distortion in the amplification process will not change the time-domain shape.”

Comprehensive analysis of pure-quartic soliton dynamics in a passively mode-locked fiber laser

The understanding of soliton dynamics promotes the development of ultrafast laser technology. High-energy purequartic solitons(PQSs) have gradually become a hotspot in recent years. Herein, we numerically study the influence of the gain bandwidth, saturation power, small-signal gain, and output coupler on PQS dynamics in passively mode-locked fiber lasers. The results show that the above four parameters can affect PQS dynamics. Pulsating PQSs occur as we alter the other three parameters when the gain bandwidth is 50 nm. Meanwhile, PQSs evolve from pulsating to erupting and then to splitting as the other three parameters are altered when the gain bandwidth is 10 nm, which can be attributed to the existence of the spectral filtering effect and intra-cavity fourth-order dispersion. These findings provide new insights into PQS dynamics in passively mode-locked fiber lasers.

Research on Infrared Emissivity and Laser Reflectivity of Sn_(1−x)Er_(x)O_(2)Micro/Nanofibers Based on First-Principles

Sn_(1−x)Er_(x)O_(2)(x=0%,8%,16%,24%)micro/nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning combined with heat treatment using erbium nitrate,stannous chloride and polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)as raw materials.The target products were characterized by thermogravimetric analyzer,X-ray diffrotometer,fourier transform infrared spectrometer,scanning electron microscope,spectrophotometer and infrared emissivity tester,and the effects of Er^(3+)doping on its infrared and laser emissivity were studied.At the same time,the Sn_(1−x)Er_(x)O_(2)(x=0%,16%)doping models were constructed based on the first principles of density functional theory,and the related optoelectronic properties such as their energy band structure,density of states,reflectivity and dielectric constant were analyzed,and further explained the mechanism of Er^(3+)doping on SnO_(2)infrared emissivity and laser absorption from the point of electronic structure.The results showed that after calcination at 600℃,single rutile type SnO_(2)was formed,and the crystal structure was not changed by doping Er^(3+).The calcined products showed good fiber morphology,and the average fiber diameter was 402 nm.The infrared emissivity and resistivity of the samples both decreased first and then increased with the increase of Er^(3+)doping amount.When x=16%,the infrared emis-sivity of the sample was at least 0.71;and Er^(3+)doping can effectively reduce the reflectivity of SnO_(2)at 1.06μm and 1.55μm,when x=16%,its reflectivity at 1.06μm and 1.55μm are 50.5%and 40%,respectively,when x=24%,the reflectivity at 1.06μm and 1.55μm wavelengths are 47.3%and 42.1%,respectively.At the same time,the change of carrier concentration and electron transition before and after Er^(3+)doping were described by first-principle calculation,and the regulation mechanism of infrared emissivity and laser reflectivity was explained.This study provides a certain experimental and theoretical basis for the development of a single-type,light-weight and easily prepared infrared and laser compatible-stealth material.

Single-frequency linearly polarized Q-switched fiber laser based on Nb_(2)GeTe_(4)saturable absorber

We report a single-frequency linearly polarized Q-switched fiber laser based on an Nb_(2)GeTe_(4)saturable absorber(SA).The Nb_(2)GeTe_(4)SA triggers passive Q-switching of the laser,and an un-pumped Yb-doped fiber together with a 0.08-nmbandwidth polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating(FBG)acts as an ultra-narrow bandwidth filter to realize singlelongitudinal-mode(SLM)oscillation.The devices used in the laser are all kept polarized,so as to ensure linearly polarized laser output.Stable SLM linearly polarized Q-switching operation at 1064.6 nm is successfully achieved,producing a laser with a shortest pulse width of 1.36μs,a linewidth of 28.4 MHz,a repetition rate of 28.3 kHz-95.9 kHz,and a polarization extinction ratio of about 30 dB.It is believed that the single-frequency linearly polarized pulsed fiber laser studied in this paper has great application value in gravitational wave detection,beam combining,nonlinear frequency conversion,and other fields.

A kind of multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser based on Lyot filter

A multiwavelength tunable ring-cavity erbium-doped fiber laser(EDFL)based on a Lyot filter was presented.For the proposed Lyot filter,a comb filter consisting of an EDF-polarization-maintaining fiber(EDF-PMF),a polarization controller(PC),and a circulator with four ports was used to suppress the mode competition.The light transmission direction was guaranteed by the circulator.For the proposed fiber laser,tunable single,dual,triple,quadruple,quintuple,sextuple,and septuple wavelengths were realized.A single-wavelength laser output with an optical signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of up to30.56 dB was realized,and a tuning range of 1590.54 nm to 1599.54 nm was achieved by tuning the PC.The stability of the single,dual,triple,and quadruple-wavelength center power fluctuations was less than 0.05 dB,0.98 dB,5.07 dB,and7.71 dB respectively.When the laser was operated in the multiwavelength condition,the SNR was more than 20.97 dB.The proposed erbium-doped fiber laser is suitable for fiber-sensing system applications.

Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy:Is it living up to the hype?

Objective:The holmium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet laser(Ho:YAG)has been the gold standard for laser lithotripsy over the last three decades.After demonstrating good in vitro efficacy,the thulium fiber laser(TFL)has been recently released in the market and the initial clinical results are encouraging.This article aims to review the main technology differences between the Ho:YAG laser and the TFL,discuss the initial clinical results with the TFL as well as the optimal settings for TFL lithotripsy.Methods:We reviewed the literature focusing on the technological aspects of the Ho:YAG laser and TFL as well as the results of in vitro and in vivo studies comparing both technologies.Results:In vitro studies show a technical superiority of TFL compared to the Ho:YAG laser and encouraging results have been demonstrated in clinical practice.However,as TFL is a new technology,limited studies are currently available,and the optimal settings for lithotripsy are not yet established.Conclusion:TFL has the potential to be an alternative to the Ho:YAG laser,but more reports are still needed to determine the optimal laser for lithotripsy of urinary tract stones when considering all parameters including effectiveness,safety,and costs.

Real-time observation of soliton pulsation in net normal-dispersion dissipative soliton fiber laser

We present experimental observations of soliton pulsations in the net normal-dispersion fiber laser by using the dispersive Fourier transform(DFT) technique. According to the pulsating characteristics, the soliton pulsations are classified as visible and invisible soliton pulsations. The visible soliton pulsation is converted from single-into dual-soliton pulsation with the common characteristics of energy oscillation and bandwidth breathing. The invisible soliton pulsation undergoes periodic variation in the spectral profile and peak power but remains invariable in pulse energy. The reason for invisible soliton pulsation behavior is periodic oscillation of the pulse inside the soliton molecule. These results could be helpful in deepening our understanding of the soliton pulsation phenomena.

Antimonene-based saturable absorber for a soliton mode-locked and Q-switched fiber laser in the 2 μm wavelength region

We demonstrate antimonene as a saturable absorber(SA) to generate an ultrafast mode-locked and Q-switched laser in the 2 μm wavelength region. The two antimonene-based SAs were prepared and inserted separately in a thulium–holmiumdoped fiber laser to produce the pulsed laser. Antimonene was coated onto a tapered fiber to generate soliton mode-locked pulses and used in thin-film form for the generation of Q-switched pulses. The mode-locking was stable within a pump power of 267 m W–511 m W, and the laser operated at a central wavelength of 1897.4 nm. The mode-locked laser had a pulse width of 1.3 ps and a repetition rate of 12.6 MHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 64 d B. Q-switched laser operation was stable at a wavelength of 1890.1 nm within a pump power of 312 m W–381 m W. With the increase in pump power from 312 m W to 381 m W, the repetition rate increased to a maximum of 56.63 k Hz and the pulse width decreased to a minimum value of 2.85 μs. Wide-range tunability of the Q-switched laser was also realized within the wavelength range of1882 nm–1936 nm.

Critical dispersion of chirped fiber Bragg grating for eliminating time delay signature of distributed feedback laser chaos

Optical chaos has attracted widespread attention owing to its complex dynamic behaviors.However,the time delay signature(TDS)caused by the external cavity mode reduces the complexity of optical chaos.We propose and numerically demonstrate the critical dispersion of chirped fiber Bragg grating(CFBG)for eliminating the TDS of laser chaos in this work.The critical dispersion,as a function of relaxation frequency and bandwidth of the optical spectrum,is found through extensive dynamics simulations.It is shown that the TDS can be eliminated when the dispersion of CFBG is above this critical dispersion.In addition,the influence of dispersive feedback light and output light from a laser is investigated.These results provide important quantitative guidance for designing chaotic semiconductor lasers without TDS.

Dissipative soliton resonance within different dispersion regimes in a single mode-locked laser

Dissipative soliton resonance(DSR) was previously studied in separated mode-locked fiber lasers within different dispersion regimes including anomalous, near-zero and normal dispersion. Here we propose a method to study DSR in a single mode-locked laser in these different dispersion regimes. This is achieved by virtue of a waveshaper which can control the laser dispersion readily using software, avoiding the usual tedious cutback method. We find that dispersion has a negligible effect on DSR since the pulse duration keeps constant while dispersion is varied. Moreover, we examine the dynamics of DSR on the parameters of the SA including modulation depth and saturation power, and find that the pulse duration can be changed in a large range when the saturation power is decreased. Our numerical simulations could be important to guide relative experimental studies.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs combined with laser photocoagulation maintain retinal ganglion cell integrity in patients with diabetic macular edema: study protocol for a prospective, non-randomized, controlled clinical trial

The integrity of retinal ganglion cells is tightly associated with diabetic macular degeneration that leads to damage and death of retinal ganglion cells,affecting vision.The major clinical treatments for diabetic macular edema are anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs and laser photocoagulation.However,although the macular thickness can be normalized with each of these two therapies used alone,the vision does not improve in many patients.This might result from the incomplete recovery of retinal ganglion cell injury.Therefore,a prospective,non-randomized,controlled clinical trial was designed to investigate the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs combined with laser photocoagulation on the integrity of retinal ganglion cells in patients with diabetic macular edema and its relationship with vision recovery.In this trial,150 patients with diabetic macular edema will be equally divided into three groups according to therapeutic methods,followed by treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs,laser photocoagulation therapy,and their combination.All patients will be followed up for 12 months.The primary outcome measure is retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness at 12 months after treatment.The secondary outcome measures include retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness before and 1,3,6,and 9 months after treatment,retinal nerve fiber layer thickness,best-corrected visual acuity,macular area thickness,and choroidal thickness before and 1,3,6,9,and 12 months after treatment.Safety measure is the incidence of adverse events at 1,3,6,9,and 12 months after treatment.The study protocol hopes to validate the better efficacy and safety of the combined treatment in patients with diabetic macula compared with the other two monotherapies alone during the 12-month follow-up period.The trial is designed to focus on clarifying the time-effect relationship between imaging measures related to the integrity of retinal ganglion cells and best-corrected visual acuity.The trial protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University with approval No.(2023)(26)on April 25,2023,and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number:ChiCTR2300072478,June 14,2023,protocol version:2.0).

Effect of suction on macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness during LASIK used femtosecond laser and Moria M2 microkeratome

·AIM: To compare the effect of suction on the macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) thickness during laser in situ keratomileusis(LASIK) used Ziemer FEMTO LDV femtosecond laser(Ziemer group) and Moria M2 automated microkeratome(Moria group) for flap creation.· METHODS: Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography(FD-OCT) was used to measure macular thickness, ganglion cell complex thickness and RNFL thickness of 204 eyes of 102 patients with the Ziemer femtosecond laser(102 eyes) and the Moria M2microkeratome(102 eyes) before surgery and 30min; 1,3d; 1wk; 1, 3mo; 1y after surgery.· RESULTS: The average foveal thickness and parafoveal retinal thickness 30 min after the surgery were statistically more than that before surgery(Ziemer P 【0.001,P =0.003 and Moria P=0.001, P=0.006) and the effect was less in the Ziemer group than that in the Moria group(P all 【0.05). The ganglion cell complex thickness was not significantly changed in both groups(P all 】0.05). The RNFL thickness was statistically less 30 min after surgery in both groups(P=0.014, P 【0.001), but the influence was less in Ziemer group than that in Moria group(P =0.038).However, the RNFL thickness had recovered to the preoperative level only 1d after surgery.·CONCLUSION: The suction of femtosecond laser and mechanical microkeratome led to the increase in macular central fovea thickness and the decrease in RNFL thickness values at the early stage after LASIK. The effect of suction on macular and the RNFL thicknesses in Ziemer group is smaller than that in Moria group.

227-W output all-fiberized Tm-doped fiber laser at 1908 nm

In this paper, we report that a diode-pumped thulium-doped double clad silica fiber laser can provide powers of up to 227 W at 1908 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 54.3%, and an optical-to-optical efficiency of 51.2%. The output power, to the best of our knowledge, is the highest output at 1908 nm. The beam quality M2 factor is about 1.56. Also discussed in this paper is the dependence of the laser performance on fiber length.

A long-term frequency-stabilized erbium-fiber-laser-based optical frequency comb with an intra-cavity electro-optic modulator

We demonstrate an optical frequency comb based on an erbium-doped-fiber femtosecond laser with the nonlinear polarization evolution scheme. The repetition rate of the laser is about 209 MHz. By controlling an intra-cavity electro- optic modulator and a piezo-transducer, the repetition rate can be stabilized with a high-bandwidth servo in a frequency range of 3 kHz, enabling long-term repetition rate phase-locking. The in-loop frequency stability of repetition rate is about 1.6× 10-13 in an integration time of 1 s, limited by the measurement system; and it is inversely proportional to integration time in the short term. Furthermore, using a common path f-2f interferometer, the carrier envelope offset frequency of the comb is obtained with a signal-to-noise ratio of 40 dB in a 3-MHz resolution bandwidth. Stabilized cartier envelope offset frequency exhibits a deviation of 0.6 mHz in an integration time of 1 s.

Supervised descent method for weld pool boundary extraction during fiber laser welding process

In order to obtain a high-quality weld during the laser welding process, extracting the characteristic parameters of weld pool is an important issue for automated welding. In this paper, the type 304 austenitic stainless steel is welded by a 5 kW high-power fiber laser and a high-speed camera is employed to capture the topside images of weld pools. Then we propose a robust visual-detection approach for the molten pool based on the supervised descent method. It provides an elegant framework for representing the outline of a weld pool and is especially efficient for weld pool detection in the presence of strong uncertainties and disturbances. Finally, welding experimental results verified that the proposed approach can extract the weld pool boundary accurately, which will lay a solid foundation for controlling the weld quality of fiber laser welding process.

Pulse-train nonuniformity in an all-fiber ring laser passively mode-locked by nonlinear polarization rotation

This paper reports the periodic power variation of the pulse-train in a passively mode-locked soliton fiber ring laser. It can obtain either the uniform or nonuniform pulse-train output by simply rotating the polarization controllers. The experimental results show that the pulse-train nonuniformity is caused by the interaction between the nonuniform polarization states of the soliton pulses and the passive polarizer in the cavity.