The soliton laser.

By incorporating a length of single mode, polarization preserving fiber into the feedback loop of a modelocked color center laser (lambda = ~1.4-1.6 micron), we have created the first "soliton laser". Pulse width (2.0 to 0.21 psec obtained to date) is determined by fiber length, in accord with N=2 soliton behavior. Production of 50 fsec wide pulses is indicated for compression in an additional, external fiber.