Sequential generation of self-starting diverse operations in all-fiber laser based on thulium-doped fiber saturable absorber.

Self-starting Q -switching, Q -switched mode-locking and mode-locking operation modes are achieved sequentially in an all-fiber erbium-doped fiber laser with thulium-doped fiber saturable absorber for the first time. The central wavelengths of Q -switching, Q -switched mode-locking and mode-locking operation modes are 1569.7 nm, 1570.9 nm, and 1572 nm, respectively. The mode-locking operation of the proposed fiber laser generates stable dark soliton with a repetition rate of 0.99 MHz and signal-to-noise ratio of 65 dB. The results validate the capability of generating soliton pulse by doped fiber saturable absorber. Furthermore, the proposed fiber laser is beneficial to the applications of optical communication and signal processing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]