Pulses with switchable wavelengths and hysteresis in an all-fiber spatio-temporal mode-locked laser
Han Wu, Wei Lin, Yan-Jie Tan, Hu Cui, Zhi‐Chao Luo, Wen‐Cheng Xu, Ai‐Ping Luo
Abstract
A spatio-temporal mode-locked (STML) fiber laser is reported based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. The laser has an all-fiber structure and the mode-locking threshold is as low as 200 mW. Single and multiple pulses with switchable central wavelengths are obtained. In particular, pump hysteresis is observed during the generation and disappearance of multiple pulses. The experimental results help to further understand the dynamic characteristics of STML fiber lasers and to explore how they are connected with conventional mode-locked fiber lasers in terms of soliton nonlinear phenomena, which may stimulate new applications in optical communications and nonlinear science.