Various embodiments include modelocked fiber laser resonators that may be
coupled with optical amplifiers. An isolator may separate the laser
resonator from the amplifier, although certain embodiments exclude such
an isolator. A reflective optical element on one end of the resonator
having a relatively low reflectivity may be employed to couple light from
the laser resonator to the amplifier. Enhanced pulse-width control may be
provided with concatenated sections of both polarization-maintaining and
non-polarization-maintaining fibers. Apodized fiber Bragg gratings and
integrated fiber polarizers may be also be included in the laser cavity
to assist in linearly polarizing the output of the cavity. Very short
pulses with a large optical bandwidth may be obtained by matching the
dispersion value of the fiber Bragg grating to the inverse of the
dispersion of the intra-cavity fiber. Frequency comb sources may be
constructed from such modelocked fiber oscillators. In various exemplary
embodiments, low dispersion and an in-line interferometer that provides
feedback, assist in controlling the frequency components output from the
comb source.