High repetition rate mode-locked erbium-doped fiber lasers with complete electric field control

Abstract

Recent advances in fully-stabilized mode-locked laser systems are enabling many applications, including optical arbitrary waveform generation (OAWG). In this thesis work, we describe the development of high repetition-rate fiber laser-based systems for the realization of these applications at 1550 nm wavelengths. To realize these systems, frequency comb sources are needed that are compatible with electric field stabilization techniques, are compatible with integrated arrayed waveguide grating and modulator technology, and have high repetition rates to allow full use of current modulator bandwidths. Erbium-doped fiber lasers are one of the leading options to fill this role. To that end, fundamentally mode-locked stretched pulse fiber lasers approaching 250 MHz repetition rate and soliton fiber lasers at over 200 MHz repetition rates are presented, and the limitations of repetition rate scaling in fiber lasers are explored. Using the 200 MHz soliton laser and an external Fabry-Perot cavity, a low-noise, repetition rate multiplied 2 GHz source is demonstrated. Stabilization systems for high repetition rate sources must also be developed. Carrier envelope offset locking experiments using self-referencing techniques at 200 MHz repetition rate are described. Initial demonstrations towards repetition rate locking to a methane-stabilized HeNe single-frequency standard using difference-frequency generation are presented.