200 µJ, 13 ns Er:ZBLAN mid-infrared fiber laser actively Q-switched by an electro-optic modulator

Abstract

We report, as far as we know for the first time, on a pulsed 2.7 µm Er:ZBLAN fiber laser <i>Q</i>-switched by an electro-optic modulator. The <i>Q</i>-switched operation was achieved with a repetition rate range of 100 Hz-50 kHz. Pulse energy of 205.7 µJ and pulse width down to 13.1 ns, yielding a peak power of 15.7 kW, were obtained at a repetition rate of 100 Hz. The linewidth of the output spectrum was as narrow as 0.4 nm. The pulse width and the pulse peak power, to the best of our knowledge, are currently the shortest and the highest in the 3-µm-band <i>Q</i>-switched fiber lasers, respectively.