Bi_2Te_3 based passively Q-switched fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam emission

Abstract

We report a passively Q-switched fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam output modes using a few-mode fiber Bragg grating as a polarization-selective output coupler and Bi₂Te₃ as the saturable absorber. Both radially and azimuthally polarized beams can be readily generated, and the output polarization can be switchable by tuning the polarization controllers inside the laser cavity. The repetition rate of the Q-switched laser can be tuned from 31.54 to 49.40 kHz when the pump power increases from 103.5 to 139.5 mW. The fiber laser operates at a single wavelength of 1557.5 nm with a 3 dB linewidth of <0.04 nm.