Compact, single-frequency all-fiber Q-switched laser at 1 μm

We demonstrate a unique, all-fiber, actively Q-switched laser operating in the 1 mu m region. The laser is compact, single mode, single frequency, highly polarized, and exhibits high peak power. The laser cavity is constructed without external coupling, utilizing fiber Bragg gratings that permit feedback at only a single polarization. By using a piezoelectric to press the fiber and modulate the fiber birefringence, the cavity is switched between high and low loss states, permitting Q-switching. We demonstrate this Q-switching at repetition rates up to 700 KHz. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.