Theoretical analysis of a pulsed regime observed with a frequency-shifted-feedback fiber laser

Topic: Lasers and laser optics, Publisher: OSA (ISSN 0740-3224); International audience; We study a spontaneous Q-switched laser regime obtained with a multiwavelength frequency-shifted-feedback erbium-doped fiber laser. We have developed a traveling wave model to describe the dynamics of this ring cavity laser. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental measurements. Furthermore, the model gives insight into the origin of this pulsed emission. Unlike in most Q-switched lasers, Q-switched operation does not rely on amplitude modulation of the net cavity gain but is produced by modulation of the optical frequency spectrum. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a fiber laser with frequency-modulated Q-switched operation.