A WAVELENGTH TUNABLE Q-SWITCHED ERBIUM-DOPED FIBER LASER WITH FIBER BRAGG GRATING MIRRORS

Q-switched operation of an erbium-doped fiber laser with fiber grating mirrors is demonstrated for the first time. The resonator was formed by splicing two fiber gratings to erbium-doped fiber ends. One of the fiber gratings was periodically stretched by a piezoelectric transduce r for the Q-switching operation. An output pulse with a pulse width of 2.46 mu s and a peak power of 2.1 mW was obtained for a 1.48 mu m pum p power of 26 mW. The oscillation wavelength was 1.552 mu m and the re petition rate was 1 kHz. The laser oscillation wavelength was tuned fr om 1.552 mu m to 1.556 mu m by applying lateral stress to one of the f iber grating mirrors.