DYNAMICS OF ERBIUM-DOPED FIBER LASERS

The dynamics of the erbium doped fiber laser is analysed both experime ntally and theoretically. This laser operates spontaneously in self-pu lsing, in sinusoidal or in CW regime. Experiments have allowed to dete rmine the control parameters : the cavity losses, the pumping rate and the ion pairs concentration. An antiphase dynamics is observed when t he laser operates simultaneously at 1.55 mum and 1.536 mum. The self-p ulsing behavior is attributed to a fast energy transfer which occurs b etween too neighboring ions (pair induced quenching). A simple model c onsidering the active medium as a mixture of isolated ions and ions pa irs is developped and leads to a good qualitative agreement with the e xperimental results.