Deformable micro-electro-mechanical mirror integration in a fibre laser Q -switch system
Résumé
We demonstrated active Q-switching of an erbium-doped fibre laser using a deformable metallic micro-mirror. The electrostatically actuated micro-mirror acts as one of the laser cavity reflectors and, at the same time, as a switching/modulator element. When actuated, its shape changes from planar to a concave curvature, allowing control of the Q-factor of the laser cavity. The mirror/switching element is small, compact, highly reflective and achromatic, with a great integration potential. The laser system operates at frequencies between 20 and 120 kHz and generates short pulses (FWHM down to 300 ns) and high peak powers, up to 160 times greater than the continuous emission.