Wavelength-switchable noise-like pulses and modulation sidebands observed in erbium-doped fiber laser

We experimentally demonstrate a wavelength-switchable noise-like pulse (NLP) with modulation sidebands in an erbium-doped mode-locked fiber laser. The central wavelength of NLPs can be switched from 1530.2 to 1558.8 nm due to the birefringence filtering effect based on nonlinear polarization rotation. The corresponding pulse durations are 656 and 613 fs, respectively. As the total pump power increases to 700 mW, the modulation sidebands of NLPs can be observed by adjusting the polarization controller appropriately. The formation of modulation sidebands is caused by cross-phase modulation-induced modulation instability.