Semiconductor optical amplifier based swept wavelength source at 1060nm using a scanning Fabry-Perot filter and an YDFA-based booster amplifier

We demonstrate a tunable laser operating in the 1-1.1 &mgr;m wavelength region with a tuning range of 43 nm (FWHM), an output power of 19 mW and coherence length of 14 mm. The source is based on a master laser consisting of a cavity tuned ring configuration with a fiber Fabry Perot filter used as a tuning element and a semiconductor amplifier as gain medium. The output of the master laser is subsequently power boosted using an Ytterbium doped fiber amplifier (YDFA). In addition to providing a power boost, we demonstrate that by tailoring the gain spectrum of the YDFA it is possible to increase the FWHM scanning range by 7 nm compared to that of the master laser.

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