Visible‐Wavelength Spatiotemporal Mode‐Locked Fiber Laser Delivering 9 ps, 4 nJ Pulses at 635 nm

• Published in: Laser & photonics reviews 2022-07, Vol.16 (7), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Ruan, Qiujun, Xiao, Xiaosheng, Zou, Jinhai, Wang, Hang, Fan, Shuzheng, Li, Tianran, Li, Jin, Dong, Zhipeng, Cai, Zhiping, Luo, Zhengqian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fiber lasers; Lasers; Locking; mode‐locked lasers; Nonlinear dynamics; nonlinear optics; Optical communication; Precision machining; Pulse duration; Schrodinger equation; visible
• ISSN: 1863-8880; 1863-8899
• DOI: 10.1002/lpor.202100678

Spatiotemporal mode‐locking (STML) in fiber lasers are of interest in applications such as optical communications, nonlinear imaging, and precision machining. To date, STML fiber lasers in the near‐infrared region have been well demonstrated, yet operation at visible wavelengths is still challenging. Here, a STML picosecond fiber laser at 635 nm with the implementation of Pr3+$^{3+}$/Yb3+$^{3+}$ co‐doped few‐mode fiber and nonlinear polarization rotation technology is reported. By solving the modified generalized multimode nonlinear Schrödinger equation, the 635 nm STML formation is theoretically predicted and analyzed. The stable 635 nm STML with a 9 ps pulse duration, which is two orders of magnitude narrower than previously reported, is realized experimentally. Moreover, spatiotemporal profiles are illustrated by investigating the locking of transverse and longitudinal modes simultaneously. By further establishing visible ultrafast fiber amplifier, the 635 nm average power is boosted up to 440 mW, corresponding to a maximum pulse energy and peak power of 4 nJ and 280 W, respectively. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulations. This work helps to understand nonlinear dynamics in STML fiber laser and directly generate large‐energy ultrashort pulses in visible  region. To date, spatiotemporal mode‐locking (STML) of fiber lasers in the near‐infrared region have been well demonstrated, yet operation at visible wavelengths is still challenging. Here, a 635 nm STML fiber laser is reported with a 9 ps pulse duration, and the average power is amplified up to 440 mW (corresponding to 4 nJ pulse energy).