Stable multiwavelength and passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation

Based on the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) technique and a fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI), a fiber laser which can work in two different modes has been demonstrated. In one mode, it works as a continuous wave (CW) multiwavelength laser, and stable dual-, triple- and tetra-wavelength lasing with the wavelength spacing of 1.1 nm are obtained. In the other mode, it works as a passively mode-locked fiber laser, and the generated pulses have a repetition rate of 10.6 MHz, an FWHM width of 800 ps and the largest energy of 1 nJ. The multi-functional property makes this fiber laser a very convenient, cost effective and multi-purpose laser source.