Dual relaxation-oscillations and their dynamics in all-PM Er/Yb fiber ring lasers

Summary form only given. Transient gain dynamics in Er-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers are have been studied extensively for their affects on wavelength-division multiplexed optical networks and fiber lasers. Because, typically, such systems are nonpolarizing-maintaining (PM), effectively the relaxation-oscillation occurs for a single beam with random state of polarization. However, in PM fiber lasers, two different eigenmodes associated with two different polarization states exist where each polarization mode induces relaxation-oscillation. Depending on the cavity parameters and initial conditions, one would expect two relaxation oscillations to interfere constructively or destructively. We experimentally show the relaxation oscillation dynamics due to the interference of two relaxation oscillations associated with the two different polarization states of an all-PM fiber ring laser. We show that by varying the laser cavity parameters and initial conditions, one can control the interference of the relaxation-oscillations.