Multiwavelength pulse generation using an actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on distributed dispersion cavity

A simple design of a stable multiwavelength pulse generator was demonstrated using a dispersion-tuned actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber (EDF) ring laser with distributed dispersion cavity. The distributed dispersion cavity in the fiber laser successfully reduced the cross-gain saturation in EDF, and thus, enabled multiwavelength operation. Simultaneous generation of wavelength-tunable 10-GHz pulses up to four different wavelengths was achieved with the same wavelength space of 2.94 nm. The extinction ratio of all wavelengths was above 30 dB. In addition, smooth wavelength tuning was achieved over more than 41 nm when the laser was working at dual-wavelength mode. The super mode noise was /spl sim/60 dB below the signal level at both wavelengths. The laser state was found to be very stable.