Spectral narrowing and stabilization of thulium fiber lasers using guided-mode resonance filters.

We used guided-mode resonance filters (GMRFs), fabricated using thin-film deposition and chemical etching, as intracavity feedback elements to stabilize and narrow the output spectrum in thulium-doped fiber oscillators operating in the 2 μm wavelength regime, producing linewidths of <700 pm up to 10 W power levels. A Tm fiber-based amplified spontaneous emission source was used to characterize the reflective properties of the GMRFs. Linewidths of 500 pm and a 7.3 dB reduction in transmission were measured on resonances.