Broadband diode-pumped fibre laser

Reports the observation of a strong dependence of the emission spectrum (centre wavelength and linewidth) of Nd:silica fibre lasers on pump wavelength. In a particular fibre, careful selection of the pump wavelength has led to the operation of a broadband fibre laser at 1060 nm with 19 nm FWHM bandwidth. When pumped with a 30 mW diode laser, it exhibits a 1 mW threshold, a 2.5 mW output, and an intrinsic average wavelength temperature stability of about 10 p.p.m./°C