Multi-pulse operation in an actively Q-switched Er-doped fiber laser based on electro-optic modulator

In this paper, we report an experimental observation of different states of multi-pulse operation in an actively Q-switched Er-doped fiber laser, which has applications in pulse coding in optical communications. The Q factor is switched by an electro-optic modulator. Completely separated multiple pulses are obtained due to the short response time of the modulator. The influence of pump power and modulation frequency on output pulse state is investigated. In the experiment, the repetition rate of Q-switched pulse is not always consistent with the modulation signal. Single-pulse, single-dual-pulse, dual-pulse, dual-triple pulse, and multiple pulses are observed in one modulation period by increasing pump power. Single-pulse is also observed in two or three modulation periods by increasing the frequency of modulation signal. In addition, the waveform of modulating signal and the polarization state of modulated signal also affect the multi-pulse operation accordingly.