CW-pumped short pulsed 1.12 μm Raman laser using carbon nanotubes

We demonstrate passive mode-locking of a Raman fiber laser at 1.12 μm, using a nanotube-based saturable absorber. A regular train of pulses, with a duration of 236 ps at the fundamental repetition frequency of the cavity, are generated by the all-normal dispersion oscillator. Importantly, this simple system is pumped with a continuous wave Yb fiber laser, removing the need for complex synchronous pumping schemes, where pulse-shaping depends on the action of the saturable absorber and a balance of dissipative processes. These results illustrate the flexibility of combining Raman amplification with a nanotube-based absorber for wavelength versatile pulsed sources.