Wang, Shuaikun; Zhong, Li; Lin, Nan; Liu, Suping; Ma, Xiaoyu Source: Faguang Xuebao/Chinese Journal of Luminescence, v 45, n 1, p 149-156, January 2024; Language: Chinese;

Abstract:

An all-polarization-maintaining picosecond fiber laser mode-locked by a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM)is constructed. The effects of different SESAM structure with multi-quantum well and bulk material as saturable absorber layer on the output characteristics are analyzed and compared. The experimental results show that both the multi-quantum well and the bulk material SESAM can achieve stable self-starting mode-locking. The SESAM modulation depth increases with the number of quantum well periods, resulting in narrower laser output pulse width, higher output power, and a larger mode-locking range. However, the greater the number of quantum well periods, the more nonsaturable losses of the SESAM, and it will reduce the output power at the same pump power. At the same modulation depth, bulk material SESAM has more nonsaturable losses, which will reduce the output power and optical to optical conversion efficiency, but it has a more significant effect on pulse narrowing. The wavelength and spectral width of the output pulses are not significantly affected by the SESAM, but they are primarily controlled by the fiber Bragg grating(FBG). This study provides valuable guidance for the design and the selection of the SESAM.

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