Tunable self-excited multiwavelength Brillouin-erbium fiber laser based on a variable temperature sensor

We propose and demonstrate a tunable self-excited multiwavelength Brillouin-erbium fiber laser based on a novel in-line Mach–Zehnder interferometer sensor (NMZIS) with variable temperature. The configuration of the NMZIS is a section of uncoated single-mode fiber sandwiched between an up-taper and multimode fiber. With the temperature changing from 30 °C to 90 °C, the transmission spectrum of the NMZIS shifts towards longer wavelengths. By embedding the NMZIS to act as a fiber filter in the ring cavity, the wavelength of the output multiwavelength comb is tuned from 1552.35 to 1564.48 nm. The corresponding generation of 21 Brillouin–Stokes lines with 25 dB optical signal-to-noise ratio is achieved. (paper)