Expanding gain bandwidth using ion-hybridized fiber for kHz-linewidth single-frequency fiber lasers at S-, C-, and L-bands: design and performance evaluation

Abstract

Single-frequency fiber lasers at S-, C-, and L-bands play a crucial role in various applications such as optical network expansion, high-precision metrology, coherent lidar, and atomic physics. However, compared to the C-band, the S- and L-bands have wavelength deviations and suffer from excited-state absorption, which limits the output performance. To address this issue, a strategy called ion hybridization has been proposed to increase the differences in site locations of rare earth (RE) ions in the laser matrix, thereby achieving a broader gain bandwidth. This strategy has been applied to an Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped modified phosphate fiber (EYMPF), resulting in gain coefficients per unit length greater than 2 dB/cm at S-, C-, and L-bands. To demonstrate its capabilities, several centimeter-long EYMPFs have been used to generate single-frequency laser outputs at S-, C- and L-bands with kHz-linewidths, high signal-to-noise ratios (>70 dB), and low relative intensity noise (<–130 dB/Hz) in a compact short linear-cavity configuration.