Polarisation effects in fibre lasers: phenomena, theory and applications

The authors characterize the basic factors governing polarisation effects in fibre lasers, provide further information about the microscopic system of rare-earth ions in a glass matrix, discuss the influence of polarisation effects on the operation of fibre lasers, and devise a theoretical model for interpreting their performance. Based on the theoretical studies, a practical integral fibre polariser technique for making SPSM (single-polarisation single mode) fibre lasers has been developed. A polarisation-switched optical fibre laser using a photon-injection technique has also been demonstrated