Mode-locked Pr/sup 3+/-doped silica fiber laser with an external cavity

We present a Pr/sup 3+/-doped silica-based fiber laser mode-locked by using a linear external cavity with a vibrating mirror. Stable laser pulses with a FWHM of less than 44 ps, peak power greater than 9 W, and repetition rate up to 100 MHz are obtained. The pulse width versus cavity mismatch /spl Delta/L and pump power have been investigated. With a short piece of nonlinear fiber included in the external cavity, laser pulses of 45 ps have been measured.<
>