No abstract

No abstract

We present novel carbon-nanotube-based saturable absorbers. Using the low-temperature alcohol catalytic chemical-vapor deposition method, high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were directly synthesized on quartz substrates and fiber ends. We successfully applied the SWNTs to mode lock a fiber laser producing subpicosecond pulses at a 50-MHz repetition rate.

We demonstrate a novel passive mode-locking scheme for pulsed lasers enhanced by the interaction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with the evanescent field of propagating light in a D-shaped optical fiber. The scheme features all-fiber operation as well as a long lateral interaction length, which guarantees a strong nonlinear effect from the nanotubes. Mode locking is achieved with less than 30% of the CNTs compared with the amount of nanotubes used for conventional schemes. Our method also ensures the preservation of the original morphology of the individual CNTs. The demonstrated pulsed laser with our CNT mode locker has a repetition rate of 5.88 MHz and a temporal pulse width of 470 fs.

AI& Labs C o~r d i o n 6-3-14 Kmunguchi. Kmapchi-shi, Snilmna 332-0015, J~M . Tal: +81-48-240-1750. Fm: +81-48-254-3400, email: se1Oolnoir-/obs.com Y . Sakakibara, A. Rozhin, M. Tokumoto Nolional lnsfilufe ofAdvmcedl,!dusnid Science and Technolo=, 1-1-1 h e r o n o . Tsukubo, Ibamki 305-8568, JapmAbstract: A novel passively mode-locked fiber laser is demonstrated using saturable absorber based on sinele-walled carbon nanolubes. This is the first demonseation of an ootical oulsed laser based on carbon -. .nanotube technology.