Mode-locked multi-wavelength fiber ring laser using low frequency phase modulation

Abstract

We demonstrate a stable and low noise mode-locked multi-wavelength ring laser for potential uses in optical sensors. The ring laser cavity contains an all fiber phase modulator operating at 26.2 kHz, a Fabry-Perot comb filter, a band-pass filter and a small core EDF, and passively mode-locked pulses at 5.62MHz rate are generated. This laser has a relative intensity noise (RIN) value under -105 dB/Hz up to 1 GHz, and under -140 dB/Hz over 1 GHz. High peak power, high speed and high temporal resolution of mode-locked multi-wavelength laser can be useful for diverse applications including multiplexed interrogation of distributed sensor, spectroscopy and multi-spectral bio imaging. © 2011 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).