Wavelength-spacing tunable multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser based on four-wave mixing of dispersion-shifted fiber

TLDR

We demonstrate a wavelength‑spacing tunable multi‑wavelength erbium‑doped fiber laser based on degenerate four‑wave mixing in a dispersion‑shifted fiber with multiple fiber Bragg gratings. The laser operates by degenerate four‑wave mixing in a dispersion‑shifted fiber, with multiple fiber Bragg gratings whose loss and polarization can be adjusted to flexibly tune the wavelength spacing and enable switchable multi‑wavelength lasing. The device achieves stable ten‑channel lasing with 0.8 nm spacing, a >45 dB extinction ratio, and <0.2 dB peak power fluctuation at room temperature.

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate a wavelength-spacing tunable multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser based on degenerate four-wave mixing in a dispersion-shifted fiber incorporating multiple-fiber Bragg gratings. We have achieved stable operation of the multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser, which has 0.8 nm spacing ten-channel lasing wavelengths and a high extinction ratio of more than ∼45 dB, at room temperature. The output power of the multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser is stable, so the peak fluctuation is less than ∼0.2 dB. By changing the properties such as loss and polarization state of multiple fiber Bragg grating cavities, we can exercise flexible control of the wavelength spacing of the multiwavelength output. We can also obtain switchable multiwavelength lasing operation by elimination of the effects of alternate single-fiber Bragg gratings.