TUNABLE ERBIUM YTTERBIUM FIBER SLIDING-FREQUENCY SOLITON LASER

We characterize the soliton-train emission from an Er-Yb-doped fiber l oop laser. We discuss the self-starting dynamics and pulse-repetition- rate control in this sliding-frequency soliton laser. We show that the laser truly self-starts after only one cavity round trip. In the stea dy state the laser emits a closely spaced train of solitons. We also s how that the output pulse width may be controlled by the interplay of continuous frequency shifting, bandwidth-limited amplification, and no nlinear polarization rotation of the circulating solitons. The repetit ion rate is fixed by means of a weak intracavity feedback. The laser i s tunable by shifting of the filter wavelength through the whole spect ral band of the active fiber.