Stretched-pulse fiber laser

A method for forming a laser pulse comprising the steps of:

• pumping a gain fiber segment to initiate formation of a laser pulse;
• propagating the laser pulse through the gain fiber segment to amplify the laser pulse;
• modelocking the laser pulse;
• and
• propagating the laser pulse through a first fiber segment characterized by positive group velocity dispersion and through a second fiber segment characterized by negative group velocity dispersion to produce variations in laser pulse width between maximum and minimum width values of sufficient magnitude to suppress soliton effects on the laser pulse.

A modelocked fiber laser cavity comprising:

• a modelocker for modelocking an intracavity laser pulse;
• a gain fiber segment for amplifying the intracavity laser pulse, the gain fiber segment characterized by positive group velocity dispersion;
• and
• a fiber segment characterized by negative group velocity dispersion, the positive group velocity dispersion of the gain fiber segment and the negative group velocity dispersion of the negative dispersion fiber segment selected such that propagation of a laser pulse through the gain fiber segment and the negative dispersion fiber segment produces laser pulse width variations between maximum and minimum width values of sufficient magnitude to suppress soliton effects as the laser pulse circulates within the laser cavity.

A modelocked fiber laser cavity comprising:

• an isotropic Kerr medium for intensity-dependent self-initiation of an intracavity laser pulse and modelocking of the initiated pulse;
• a gain fiber segment for amplifying the intracavity laser pulse;
• and
• a first fiber segment characterized by positive group velocity dispersion and a second fiber segment characterized by negative group velocity dispersion, the positive group velocity dispersion of the first fiber segment and the negative group velocity dispersion of the second fiber segment selected such that propagation of a laser pulse through the first and second fiber segments produces laser pulse width variations between maximum and minimum width values of sufficient magnitude to suppress soliton effects as the laser pulse circulates within the laser cavity.