Radiation of novel type emitted by microchip laser

Abstract

Novel highly concentrated Yb/Er and Nd phosphate glasses were elaborated and microchip lasers were produced. Lasing parameters of Yb/Er and Nd phosphate glasses were studied. Novel type of radiation excited by pumping power sufficiently high for amplification of radiation but lower than lasing threshold was observed. It was found that indicatrix and spectrum (comb spectrum) of this radiation differed from the parameters of both luminescence and lasing radiation. It was found that the modulated radiation emitted by the micro-chip lasers was super luminescence. Spectral separation between adjacent lines of comb spectrum varies with radiation wavelength, length of Fabry-Perot resonator and refractive index of amplifying medium. The phenomenon of super luminescence modulation in Fabry-Perot micro resonator can be used for designing the simplest comb spectral channels generators for DWDM working in 0.9-1.6 &mgr;m spectral range. 200 and 250 spectral channels were realized for Yb/Er and Nd microchip lasers, correspondingly.