Title :
An electronically tunable fiber laser with a liquid-crystal etalon filter as the wavelength-tuning element
Author :
Maeda, M.W. ; Patel, J.S. ; Smith, D.A. ; Lin, Chinlon ; Saifi, M.A. ; Lehman, A. Von
Author_Institution :
Bellcore, Red Bank, NJ, USA
Abstract :
Wavelength-tunable lasers in the near infrared have a wide range of applications for fiber-based lightwave systems. A description is given of a tunable erbium-doped fiber laser using a liquid-crystal etalon filter (LCF) as the wavelength-selective element. The laser is continuously tunable over a range of 45 nm (1523-1568 nm) with a voltage of 2.1-3.3 V applied to the LCF, and operates single-mode with a very narrow linewidth (<100 kHz). The experiment demonstrates the potential of the laser as compact laser source that can be tuned over a very large wavelength range with an IC-compatible voltage.<>
Keywords :
erbium; fibre lasers; laser accessories; laser modes; laser tuning; light interferometers; liquid crystal devices; optical communication equipment; optical filters; spectral line breadth; 1523 to 1568 nm; 2.1 to 3.3 V; IC-compatible voltage; compact laser source; electronically tunable fiber laser; fiber-based lightwave systems; liquid-crystal etalon filter; narrow linewidth; near IR lasers; single-mode; wavelength-tuning element; Erbium-doped fiber lasers; Fiber lasers; Filters; Laser modes; Laser tuning; Optical polarization; Pump lasers; Ring lasers; Tunable circuits and devices; Voltage;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
