Abstract

Rayleigh scattering is a fundamental threshold-free loss mechanism in optical fiber arising from density fluctuation frozen into the fused silica fiber during its manufacture that could be exploited for lasing control in fiber lasers [1-3]. The mechanisms of the light scattering could be naturally implanted to the fiber laser by means of a passive all-fiber ring configuration that operates as a dynamical mirror [4, 5]. In the current work, we extend the functionality of such mirror providing it with the control of the resonance frequency by an external optical signal. The control of the resonance is achieved through the refractive index change (RIC) effect [6 - 7] induced in a single mode ytterbium-doped optical fiber by an optical pumping at the wavelength within the ytterbium absorption line.

© 2011 Optical Society of America