Abstract
Wavelength standards in the 1.5-μm region are important for many of the proposed optical communication schemes involving frequency-division multiplexing and coherent heterodyne detection. Fiber lasers are attractive candidates for use in such wavelength standards because of their potential for narrow-linewidth operation. Previous studies of single-longitudinal-mode Er-doped fiber lasers have reported narrow-linewidth operation (≤8.5 MHz in Ref. 1 and ≤60 kHz in Ref. 2), but a complete analysis of the frequency noise characteristics has not been carried out. The linewidth measured in Ref. 2 represented only the high-frequency (≥10 kHz) components of the laser fluctuations. I have found that fluctuations in fiber laser frequency are small and are dominated by low-frequency (≤600 Hz) components arising from mechanical vibrations, thermal drift, and fluctuations of the pump laser intensity.3 This aspect makes fiber lasers particularly easy to stabilize by using an electronic servomechanism.
© 1991 Optical Society of America
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