GAIN SATURATION AND PUMP DEPLETION IN HIGH-EFFICIENCY DISTRIBUTED-FEEDBACK RARE-EARTH-DOPED LASERS

We propose a model for designing and analyzing rare-earth-doped distri buted-feedback (DFB) lasers. The effects of pump depletion and cross-g ain saturation are included and shown to be significant for high-effic iency lasers. Our simulations show good agreement with experimental da ta from an ytterbium-doped fiber laser. We also give some design guide lines for DFB fiber lasers. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America