Novel active Q-switched fiber laser based on electrostatically actuated micro-mirror system.

It has come to the attention of the Optical Society of America that this article should not have been submitted owing to its substantial replication, without appropriate attribution, of significant elements found in the following previously published material: A. Crunteanu, D. Bouyge, D. Sabourdy, P. Blondy, V. Couderc, L. Grossard, P. H. Ploger and A. Barthelemy, "Deformable micro-electromechanical mirror integration in a fibre laser Q-switched system," J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt. 8 S347-S351 (2006).In this paper, active Q-switching of a double clad codoped erbium-Ytterbium fiber laser using a deformable metallic micro-mirror system is demonstrated. The electrostatically actuated micro-mirror acts both as the end laser cavity reflector and as 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 200 kHz and generates short pulses (FWHM down to 300 ns) and high peak powers.