High-power Q-switched erbium fiber laser using an all-fiber intensity modulator

We report on the demonstration of a Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser using a novel all-fiber intensity modulator acting as an efficient intracavity switching element. Switching speed and holdoff losses are compatible with the Q-switching dynamics of rare-earth-doped fiber lasers. The modulator is completely integrated in a spliceless erbium- doped fiber cavity. Pulses of less than 15 ns full width at half maximum (FWHM) and peak power close to 400 W were obtained for a launched pumping power of 100 mW at 980 nm. This compact source could find many uses in applications such as nonlinear optics, laser ranging and remote sensing, eyesafe free-space communication, time-gated fiber sensor systems, and long-distance optical time-domain reflectometry.