Wideband ultrafast mode-locked praseodymium- and erbium-doped fiber lasers using zinc phosphate at 1.3- and 1.5 µm

•Generation of mode-locked fiber lasers in 1.3- and 1.5 µm region.•Zinc Phosphate coated arc-shaped fiber was used as an optical modulator.•Stable mode-locked laser was observed at center wavelengths of 1301 nm and 1561 nm.•The mode-locked praseodymium-doped fiber laser had a pulse width of 452 fs with repetition rate of 0.4 MHz.•The mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser had a pulse duration of 900 with the repetition rate of 19.14 MHz.