976 nm single-frequency distributed Bragg reflector fiber laser

A single-frequency distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber laser at 976 nm was developed with a 2 cm long highly ytterbium-doped phosphate fiber and a pair of silica fiber Bragg gratings. More than 100 mW of linearly polarized output was achieved from the all-fiber DBR laser with a linewidth less than 3 kHz. The outstanding features of this single-frequency laser also include ultralow relative intensity noise and high wavelength stability. This fiber laser is an excellent seeder for high-power 976 nm narrow-linewidth laser amplifiers that can be used for efficient coherent blue-light generation through frequency doubling. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America