Generation of dual-wavelength square pulse in a figure-eight erbium-doped fiber laser with ultra-large net-anomalous dispersion

A type of wave-breaking-free mode-locked dual-wavelength square pulse was experimentally observed in a figure-eight erbium-doped fiber laser with ultra-large net-anomalous dispersion. A 2.7 km long single-mode fiber (SMF) was incorporated as a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) and provided largely nonlinear phase accumulation and anomalous dispersion, which enhanced the four-wave-mixing effect to improve the stability of the dual-wavelength operation. In the NOLM, the long SMF with small birefringence supported the Sagnac interference as a filter to manage the dual-wavelength lasing. The dual-wavelength operation was made switchable by adjusting the intra-cavity polarization loss and phase delay corresponding to two square pulses. When the pump power was increased, the duration of the square pulse increased continuously while the peak pulse power gradually decreased. This square-type pulse can potentially be utilized for signal transmission and sensing.