1. Recent advances and future outlook in mode-locked lasers with multimode fibers.
- Author
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Fu, Bo, Shang, Ce, Liu, Hengyu, Fan, Shuzheng, Zhao, Kangjun, Zhang, Yule, Wageh, Swelm, Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed, Wang, Xiaogang, Xu, Lijun, Xiao, Xiaosheng, and Zhang, Han
- Subjects
FIBER lasers ,MODE-locked lasers ,NONLINEAR optics ,FIBER optics ,SINGLE-mode optical fibers ,DEGREES of freedom - Abstract
Multimode fibers (MMFs) have attracted interest because of their larger mode area and additional spatial degrees of freedom compared with single-mode fibers. Recently, MMFs have been introduced into mode-locked lasers for new cavity structures with better laser performance. Among these lasers, there are two remarkable cases in which MMFs are the key components for mode-locking: One is using a short segment of the MMF as a saturable absorber (SA), which has the advantages of high damage threshold, wide operating bandwidth, and low cost. The other is the construction of multimode cavities with MMFs. Spatiotemporal mode-locking (STML), a general form of mode-locking, can be achieved in such cavities. Herein, we review these two types of mode-locked lasers with MMFs. The principles of MMF-based SA and STML are described based on the common theory of multimode nonlinear fiber optics. Subsequently, we present a detailed overview of the recent progress regarding these lasers, including lasers mode-locked by MMF-based SAs at the 1-, 1.5-, and 2-μm bands, as well as spatiotemporal mode-locked MMF lasers. A perspective for the development of mode-locked lasers with MMFs is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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