Fiber-laser with intracavity polarization maintaining coupler providing plane polarized output

摘要

A fiber-laser comprises a laser cavity including a gain-fiber. A polarization maintaining fiber coupler (PM-coupler) located in the laser cavity and configured such that the fiber-laser delivers plane-polarized output radiation. The laser cavity may be configured as a linear cavity or as a ring cavity and operated in either cavity configuration in CW or pulsed modes. The PM-coupler, while providing the function of a intra-cavity polarizing element, can additionally function as a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) coupler. Preferred embodiments of the laser include an intracavity polarization maintaining WDM element functioning jointly as an intra-cavity polarizing element and an element for coupling pump light into the cavity.