Rapid, k-space linear wavelength scanning laser source based on recirculating frequency shifter.

We propose and successfully demonstrate a k-space linear and self-clocked wavelength scanning fiber laser source based on recirculating frequency shifting (RFS). The RFS is realized with a high speed electro-optic dual parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator operating at the state of carrier suppressed single sideband modulation. A gated short pulse is injected into an amplified RFS loop to generate the wavelength scanning pulse train. We find that the accumulation of in-band amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise over multiple scanning periods will saturate the erbium-doped fiber amplifier and impede the amplification to the pulse signal in the RFS loop. To overcome the degradation of temporal signal due to the accumulation of ASE noise over multiple scanning periods, we insert a modulated optical switch into the RFS loop to completely attenuate the in-band ASE noise at the end of each scanning period. The signal to noise ratio of the temporal pulsed signal is greatly enhanced. K-space linear and self-clocked wavelength scanning fiber laser sources in 6.1 nm/7.2 nm scanning range with 20 GHz/30 GHz frequency shifting are successfully demonstrated.