Broadband tunable narrow-linewidth laser based on scattering-enhanced fiber covering E-S-C-L bands

TL;DR

This paper presents a broadband, tunable, narrow-linewidth laser covering 1337.47 nm to 1631.39 nm, utilizing scattering-enhanced fiber and advanced filtering to achieve high spectral purity and rapid wavelength switching.

Contribution

It introduces a novel laser design combining scattering-enhanced fiber and ultra-broadband filtering for wide tunability and narrow linewidths in the E-S-C-L bands.

Findings

Tuning span of 293.92 nm across E-S-C-L bands.

Output linewidths between 1.54 kHz and 2.61 kHz.

Wavelength switching time less than 1 ms.

Abstract

This work demonstrates a broadband tunable narrow-linewidth laser based on scattering-enhanced fiber, covering the E-S-C-L wavelength bands from 1337.47 nm to 1631.39 nm, with a total tuning span of 293.92 nm. The laser employs two semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) centered at 1420 nm and 1550 nm, which are connected into a single ring resonator via polarization multiplexing. Wavelength selection and tunability is realized using an ultra-broadband tunable filter based on a blazed grating. To suppress side longitude modes, an 18-meter-long femtosecond-laser-empowered random scattering fiber is utilized inside the cavity as a feedback medium, yielding an output linewidths between 1.54 kHz and 2.61 kHz. Benefited from the fast response of the galvanometer mirror and short relaxation time of SOAs, wavelength switching time is less than 1 ms under different tuning channels among the wavelength range of near 300 nm. The stable single-longitude-mode operation is maintained across the entire tuning range. The exceptionally broad tuning range and high spectral purity of the laser endow it with significant application potentials across a wide range of fields.