Sergey I. Kablukov

Four-wave-mixing-induced turbulent spectral broadening in a long Raman fiber laser

We present a detailed analytical self-consistent theory based on wave kinetic equations that describes generation spectrum and output power of a Raman fiber laser (RFL). It is shown both theoretically and experimentally that the quasi-degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) between different longitudinal modes is the main broadening mechanism in the one-stage RFL at high powers. The shape and power dependence of the intracavity Stokes wave spectrum are in excellent quantitative agreement with predictions of the theory. FWM-induced stochasticity of the amplitude and the phase of each of the ∼106 longitudinal modes generated in the RFL cavity is an example of a light-wave turbulence in a fiber.

Spectral broadening in Raman fiber lasers

We present an analytical theory based on wave kinetic equations that describes a Raman fiber laser (RFL) generation spectrum. It is shown both theoretically and experimentally that the quasi-degenerate four-wave mixing between different longitudinal modes is the main broadening mechanism in the one-stage RFL at high powers. The shape and power dependence of the intracavity Stokes wave spectrum are in excellent quantitative agreement with predictions of the theory.

Output spectrum of Yb-doped fiber lasers

An analytical model for self phase modulation in Yb-doped fiber laser (YDFL) describing output spectrum and its broadening with increasing power has been developed. Spectral measurements in continuous wave (CW) cladding-pumped YDFL have proved the validity of the model demonstrating hyperbolic secant shape of the spectrum and linear increase of the line width with power in 1-12 W range. At lower powers, spatial hole burning and line self-sweeping effects become important and define the lower limit for the line width.

High-order random Raman lasing in a PM fiber with ultimate efficiency and narrow bandwidth.

Random Raman lasers attract now a great deal of attention as they operate in non-active turbid or transparent scattering media. In the last case, single mode fibers with feedback via Rayleigh backscattering generate a high-quality unidirectional laser beam. However, such fiber lasers have rather poor spectral and polarization properties, worsening with increasing power and Stokes order. Here we demonstrate a linearly-polarized cascaded random Raman lasing in a polarization-maintaining fiber. The quantum efficiency of converting the pump (1.05 μm) into the output radiation is almost independent of the Stokes order, amounting to 79%, 83%, and 77% for the 1st (1.11 μm), 2nd (1.17 μm) and 3rd (1.23 μm) order, respectively, at the polarization extinction ratio >22 dB for all orders. The laser bandwidth grows with increasing order, but it is almost independent of power in the 1–10 W range, amounting to ~1, ~2 and ~3 nm for orders 1–3, respectively. So, the random Raman laser exhibits no degradation of output characteristics with increasing Stokes order. A theory adequately describing the unique laser features has been developed. Thus, a full picture of the cascaded random Raman lasing in fibers is shown.

Turbulence-induced square-root broadening of the Raman fiber laser output spectrum

The output characteristics of the conventional one-stage Raman fiber laser (RFL) are described in an optical wave turbulence formalism. Simple analytical expressions describing RFL output power and its spectral shape are presented, and square-root law for the output spectrum broadening law has been discovered. The indications of the turbulent-like spectral broadening in other types of cw fiber lasers and propagation phenomena in fibers are also discussed.

Linearly polarized random fiber laser with ultimate efficiency.

Linearly polarized pumping of a random fiber laser made of a 500-m PM fiber with PM fiber-loop mirror at one fiber end results in generation of linearly polarized radiation at 1.11 μm with the polarization extinction ratio as high as 25 dB at the output power of up to 9.4 W. The absolute optical efficiency of pump-to-Stokes wave conversion reaches 87%, which is close to the quantum limit and sets a record for Raman fiber lasers with random distributed feedback and with a linear cavity as well. Herewith, the output linewidth at high powers tends to saturation at a level of 1.8 nm.

Random fiber laser directly pumped by a high-power laser diode

A random lasing based on Rayleigh scattering (RS) in a passive fiber directly pumped by a high-power laser diode (LD) has been demonstrated. Owing to the RS-based random distributed feedback (RDFB) the low-quality LD beam (938 nm) is converted into the high-quality laser output (980 nm). Because of the relatively low excess above the threshold with the available LD, the RDFB laser output is not stationary and limited in power at the 0.5 W level. In the used gradient-index fiber, the output beam has 4.5 lower divergence as compared with the pump beam thus demonstrating a new way for development of high-power fiber lasers with high-quality output.

Relative intensity noise in cascaded-Raman fiber lasers

Pump-to-Stokes and Stokes-to-Stokes relative intensity noise (RIN) transfer is discovered now for cascaded Raman fiber lasers (RFLs) with multimode laser pumping. We report on the first experimental study of this effect observed with two-stage phosphosilicate RFL and also propose its analytical explanation. It is shown that the peaks of radio-frequency (RF) spectrum associated with longitudinal mode beating in the pump laser cavity almost uniformly transfer to the first and second Stokes RF-spectra, thus increasing RIN of the RFL in megahertz-frequency domain.

Self-scanned single-frequency operation of a fiber laser driven by a self-induced phase grating

The selector-free single-frequency operation of an Yb-doped fiber laser with scanning in the range of ?20?nm is demonstrated. The frequency and intensity evolution is shown to be driven by a self-induced phase grating in the active fiber defined by gain saturation in a standing-wave. A theory has been developed that describes well the main features of the experiment and provides possibilities for optimization of laser parameters. Perspectives for utilizing the self-scanned laser in fundamental studies and practical applications are discussed.

All-fiber widely tunable Raman fiber laser with controlled output spectrum

In the present paper we report on the all-fiber widely tunable high efficient RFL with controlled output spectrum that is applicable for further frequency doubling.