MEMS-metasurface–enabled mode-switchable vortex lasers

Compared to conventional lasers limited to generating static modes, mode-switchable lasers equipped with adjustable optics significantly enhance the flexibility and versatility of coherent light sources. However, most current approaches to achieving mode-switchable lasers depend on conventional, i.e., inherently bulky and slow, optical components. Here, we demonstrate fiber lasers empowered by electrically actuated intracavity microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based optical metasurface (MEMS-OMS) enabling mode switching between fundamental Gaussian and vortex modes at ~1030 nm. By finely adjusting the voltage applied to the MEMS mirror, high-contrast switching between Gaussian (<i>l</i> = 0) and vortex (<i>l</i> = 1, 2, 3, and 5, depending on the OMS arrangement) laser modes is achieved, featuring high mode purities (>95%) and fast responses (~100 microseconds). The proposed intracavity MEMS-OMS-enabled laser configuration provides an at-source solution for generating high-purity fast-switchable laser modes, with potential applications ranging from advanced optical imaging to optical tweezers, optical machining, and intelligent photonics.