Harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on microfiber-assisted nonlinear multimode interference

A novel harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on nonlinear multimode interference (NL-MMI) in a microfiber-assisted ultrafast optical switch is proposed in this Letter. The microfiber-assisted ultrafast optical switch can be obtained by tapering the splicing point of the graded-index multimode fiber (GIMF) and single-mode fiber, which not only helps to shorten the self-imaging period in GIMF to relax the strict requirement of NL-MMI on the length of multimode fiber, but also improves the harmonic order. In the experiment, with the waist diameter of similar to 15 mu m, the repetition rates of the fiber laser can be stably locked at 285 MHz, corresponding to the 16th-order harmonic mode-locking, with the pulse duration of 1.52 ps. Our results provide novel insight into the design of a high-repetition-rate laser and the application of microfibers in the mode-locking device.

Automated summary

A novel harmonic mode-locked fiber laser based on nonlinear multimode interference in a microfiber-assisted ultrafast optical switch is proposed in this letter. Experimental results demonstrate that stable high-repetition-rate laser output can be achieved through specific design.