Switchable multi-wavelength fiber ring laser using a side-leakage photonic crystal fiber based filter

A switchable multi-wavelength fiber ring laser is proposed and experimentally demonstrated with a novel side-leakage photonic crystal fiber (SLPCF) based filter incorporated into the ring cavity at room temperature. Stable multi-wavelength laser operations can be achieved due to the spatial mode beating, polarization hole burning and spectral hole burning effects. By adjusting the polarization controller appropriately, the laser can be switched among the single-, dual- and triple-wavelength lasing oscillations whose signal-to-noise ratio is up to 50 dB. In addition, the lasing wavelength can be also tuned and switched by applying the strain to the filter. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.