title: Bidirectional mode-locked fiber ring laser using self-regenerative, passively controlled, threshold gating.
abstract: We demonstrate a technique to achieve bidirectional mode locking of a fiber ring laser using two amplitude modulators passively driven by a signal regenerated from the oscillation of the laser itself. The new scheme allows generation of two independent-frequency unlocked-countercirculating pulses and active control of their crossing points. The technique minimizes the effects of the dead band associated with crossing at a scattering media. Results show stable bidirectional pulses at a 5MHz repetition rate with no detectable dead band.
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico, Center for High Technology Materials, 1313 Goddard, SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106, USA. apbraga@unm.edu
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Diels
authors.forename: Ravinder
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang