Pulse generation and propagation in dispersion-managed ultralong erbium-doped fiber lasers mode-locked by carbon nanotubes.

We present a study of pulse generation and propagation in erbium-doped fiber lasers with cavity length varying from 8 m to 3.5 km. We demonstrate that soliton effect determines the pulse stabilization in ultralong cavities, measuring pulses with an average 7.0 ps pulsewidth for cavity lengths between 2.25 and 3.5 km. We also demonstrate that, by filling fundamental soliton requirements, pulsewidth can be determined by length and total dispersion cavity parameters.