We propose and demonstrate a low-threshold single-wavelength all-fiber laser generating cylindrical vector beams using a few-mode fiber Bragg grating. Both radially and azimuthally polarized beams have been generated with very good modal symmetry and polarization purity higher than 94%. The radially and azimuthally polarized modes can be switched by simply adjusting the polarization controllers built in the fiber laser cavity. This fiber laser operates at a single wavelength of 1053 nm with a 3 dB linewidth of less than 0.02 nm, signal-to-background ratio of more than 55 dB, and a threshold as low as 16 mW. A new method for the polarization purity measurement is also proposed.
We report a fiber laser design that is capable of producing switchable transverse modes through wavelength tuning. The transverse mode switching is realized by exploiting the particular transverse mode-wavelength association characteristics of the few-mode fiber Bragg grating. Different transverse mode outputs with high spatial mode quality can be obtained by adjusting the oscillating wavelength with a tunable filter within the fiber laser cavity. For each of the spatial mode outputs, the laser operates at the corresponding single wavelength with narrow linewidth. Through adding polarization controllers in the laser cavity, output modes with cylindrical vector polarization are also realized.
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