Channel-spacing-tunable multi-wavelength fiber ring laser with hybrid Raman and erbium-doped fiber gains

A multi-wavelength fiber ring laser of tunable channel spacing is proposed by employing an optical variable delay line (OVDL) in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Stable lasing is achieved at room temperature with the hybrid gains of a single mode fiber (as the Raman gain medium) and an Erbium-doped fiber (EDF) in a ring structure. The channel spacing of the present multi-wavelength fiber ring laser can be continuously tuned by adjusting the computer-controlled OVDL. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.