Laser mode locking using a saturable absorber incorporating carbon nanotubes

Author

Set, Sze Y. ; Yaguchi, Hiroshi ; Tanaka, Yuichi ; Jablonski, Mark

Author_Institution

Alnair Labs., Saitama, Japan

Volume

22

Issue

1

fYear

2004

Firstpage

51

Lastpage

56

Abstract

This paper describes a new class of saturable absorber device based on single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)-the saturable absorber incorporating nano tube (SAINT). The device possesses ultrafast optical properties comparable to that of the industrial standard semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). Passively mode-locked picosecond fiber lasers in different configurations are demonstrated using SAINTs as mode lockers. This is the first demonstration of optical pulsed lasers based on the carbon nanotube technology, and the first practical application of carbon nanotubes in the field of applied optics.

Keywords

carbon nanotubes; fibre lasers; high-speed optical techniques; laser mirrors; laser mode locking; optical saturable absorption; optical solitons; C; applied optics; carbon nanotubes; laser mode locking; optical pulsed lasers; passively mode-locked fiber laser; picosecond fiber lasers; saturable absorber; soliton; ultrafast optical properties; Carbon nanotubes; Fiber lasers; Fiber nonlinear optics; Laser mode locking; Nonlinear optics; Optical fiber devices; Optical fiber polarization; Optical pulses; Optical solitons; Ultrafast optics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JLT.2003.822205

Filename

1266677