Photonics Research, 2018, 6 (10): 10000C36, Published Online: Sep. 25, 2018
Femtosecond mode-locking of a fiber laser using a CoSb3-skutterudite-based saturable absorber
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrate an ultrafast mode-locker based on a CoSb 3 skutterudite topological insulator for femtosecond mode-locking of a fiber laser. The mode-locker was implemented on a side-polished fiber platform by depositing a CoSb 3 / PVA composite. The measured modulation depth and saturation power for the transverse-electric mode input were ~ 5 % and ~ 8.7 W , respectively, and ~ 2.8 % and ~ 10.6 W for the transverse-magnetic mode input. By incorporating this mode-locker into an erbium-doped fiber-based ring cavity, we were able to readily generate mode-locked, soliton pulses having a pulse width of ~ 833 fs at 1557.9 nm. The 3-dB bandwidth of the output pulses and time-bandwidth product were ~ 3.44 and 0.353 nm, respectively. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the use of a skutterudite-based saturable absorber for femtosecond mode-locked pulse generation.
Jinho Lee, Yoontaek Kim, Kyungtaek Lee, Ju Han Lee. Femtosecond mode-locking of a fiber laser using a CoSb3-skutterudite-based saturable absorber[J]. Photonics Research, 2018, 6(10): 10000C36.