A random Q-switched fiber laser

Extensive studies have been performed on random lasers in which multiple-scattering feedback is used to generate coherent emission. Q-switching and mode-locking are well-known routes for achieving high peak power output in conventional lasers. However, in random lasers, the ubiquitous random cavities that are formed by multiple scattering inhibit energy storage, making Q-switching impossible. In this paper, widespread Rayleigh scattering arising from the intrinsic micro-scale refractive-index irregularities of fiber cores is used to form random cavities along the fiber. The Q-factor of the cavity is rapidly increased by stimulated Brillouin scattering just after the spontaneous emission is enhanced by random cavity resonances, resulting in random Q-switched pulses with high brightness and high peak power. This report is the first observation of high-brightness random Q-switched laser emission and is expected to stimulate new areas of scientific research and applications, including encryption, remote three-dimensional random imaging and the simulation of stellar lasing.

[1]  Sergei K. Turitsyn,et al.  Random distributed feedback fiber laser , 2011, 2011 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference.

[2]  Optofluidic random laser , 2012, 1203.0091.

[3]  Brandon Redding,et al.  Speckle-free laser imaging using random laser illumination , 2011, Nature Photonics.

[4]  N. P. Puente,et al.  Single-mode Er-doped fiber random laser with distributed Bragg grating feedback. , 2009, Optics express.

[5]  A. Genack,et al.  Photon localization laser: low-threshold lasing in a random amplifying layered medium via wave localization. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[6]  H. K. Hodge,et al.  RANDOM THOUGHTS , 1988, SGSM.

[7]  D. Churkin,et al.  Narrow-band generation in random distributed feedback fiber laser. , 2013, Optics express.

[8]  Diederik S. Wiersma,et al.  Light emission: A temperature-tunable random laser , 2001, Nature.

[9]  D. Wiersma,et al.  Resonance-driven random lasers , 2009, CLEO/Europe - EQEC 2009 - European Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the European Quantum Electronics Conference.

[10]  H. Ming,et al.  Coherent random fiber laser based on nanoparticles scattering in the extremely weakly scattering regime. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[11]  Brandon Redding,et al.  Physics and applications of random lasers , 2014, 2014 The European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC).

[12]  N. Lawandy,et al.  Laser action in strongly scattering media , 1994, Nature.

[13]  R. Kashyap,et al.  Demonstration of a 3 mW threshold Er-doped random fiber laser based on a unique fiber Bragg grating. , 2009, Optics express.

[14]  C. D. de Matos,et al.  Random fiber laser. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[15]  Govind P. Agrawal,et al.  Nonlinear Fiber Optics , 1989 .

[16]  Ch. M. Briskina,et al.  BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS: Luminescence and stimulated emission of neodymium in sodium lanthanum molybdate powders , 1986 .

[17]  Yi Zhang,et al.  Electrically pumped mid-infrared random lasers , 2013, CLEO: 2013.

[18]  D. Wiersma,et al.  Resonance-driven random lasing , 2008 .

[19]  Xiaoyi Bao,et al.  Observation of narrow linewidth spikes in the coherent Brillouin random fiber laser. , 2013, Optics letters.

[20]  Diederik S. Wiersma,et al.  Disordered photonics , 2013, Nature Photonics.

[21]  A. Fotiadi.  Random lasers: An incoherent fibre laser , 2010 .

[22]  Yongkeun Park,et al.  Subwavelength light focusing using random nanoparticles , 2013, Nature Photonics.

[23]  Zeev Valy Vardeny,et al.  Naturally occurring resonators in random lasing of π -conjugated polymer films , 2010 .

[24]  Dionyz Pogany,et al.  Pump-controlled directional light emission from random lasers. , 2013, Physical review letters.

[25]  Diederik S. Wiersma,et al.  Laser physics: Random lasers explained? , 2009 .

[26]  A. Lagendijk,et al.  Tuning random lasers by engineered absorption , 2011 .

[27]  Robert P. H. Chang,et al.  Random laser action in semiconductor powder , 1999 .

[28]  H. Cao.  Random LASERS Development , Features and Applications , 2004 .

[29]  S. Gigan,et al.  Taming random lasers through active spatial control of the pump. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[30]  P. G. Kryukov,et al.  A Laser with Nonresonant Feedback , 1966 .

[31]  Vladilen S. Letokhov,et al.  5A10(b) - A laser with a nonresonant feedback , 1966 .

[32]  William Guerin,et al.  A cold-atom random laser , 2013 .

[33]  S. Jackson,et al.  Passively Q-switched Tm(3+)-doped silica fiber lasers. , 2007, Applied optics.