Mode-locked 2 μm laser with highly thulium-doped silicate fiber
TL;DR: This is the first demonstration of mode-locked 2 mum fiber laser using shorter than 1-m-long active fiber, which paves the way for the demonstration ofmode-locked fiber laser at 2 mum with gigahertz fundamental repetition rate.
Abstract: We report self-starting passively mode-locked fiber lasers with a saturable absorber mirror using a piece of 30-cm-long newly developed highly thulium (Tm)-doped silicate glass fibers. The mode-locked pulses operate at 1980 nm with duration of 1.5 ps and energy of 0.76 nJ. This newly developed Tm-doped silicate fiber exhibits a slope efficiency of 68.3%, an amplified spontaneous emission spectrum bandwidth (FWHM) of 92 nm, and a gain per unit length of greater than 2 dB/cm. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first demonstration of mode-locked 2 μm fiber laser using shorter than 1-m-long active fiber, which paves the way for the demonstration of mode-locked fiber laser at 2 μm with gigahertz fundamental repetition rate.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the potential of a 7 wt% (8.35 × 1020 Tm3+/cm3) doped silicate fibers for high-gain fiber amplifiers.
Abstract: We report on investigation the potential of a 7 wt% (8.35 × 1020 Tm3+/cm3) doped silicate fibers for high-gain fiber amplifiers. Such a high ion concentration significantly reduces the required fiber length of high-power 2 μm fiber laser systems and allows the high-repetition rate operation in 2 μm mode-locked fiber lasers. To evaluate the feasibility of extracting high gain-per-unit-length from this gain medium, we measure several key material properties of the silicate fiber, including the absorption/emission cross-sections, upper-state lifetime, fiber background loss, and photodarkening resistance. We show through numerical simulations that a signal gain-per-unit-length of 3.78 dB/cm at 1950 nm can be achieved in a watt-level core-pumped Tm3+-doped silicate fiber amplifier. In addition, an 18-dB 2013-nm amplifier is demonstrated in a 50-cm 7 wt% Tm3+-doped double-clad silicate fiber. Finally, we experimentally confirm that the reported silicate host exhibits no observable photodarkening.
25 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the first mode-locked 2μm fiber laser with ~GHz repetition rate was demonstrated, and the broadest spectrum (50nm FWHM) was obtained from dispersion managed 2mmode-locked thulium fiber laser.
Abstract: Mode-locked fiber lasers based on Tm-doped and Tm-Ho-codoped silicate fibers have been studied. The first modelocked
fiber laser oscillator beyond 2 μm was demonstrated. The first mode-locked 2μm fiber laser with ~GHz repetition
rate was demonstrated. The broadest spectrum (50nm FWHM) was obtained from dispersion managed 2μm mode-locked
fiber laser. Various operation regimes of mode-locked thulium fiber lasers are presented, as well as all-fiber 2μm pulse
amplifiers.
25 citations
Cites background or methods from "Mode-locked 2 μm laser with highly ..."
...There are a few demonstrations of passively mode-locked Tm-doped fiber lasers, and mode-locking mechanisms include additive-pulse mode-locking [5, 6], semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAM) [7-10] and carbon nanotube based saturable absorbers [11, 12]....
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...The laser has a linear cavity, formed by a SESAM, a pump combiner, a piece of 30-cm long double cladding Tm-doped silicate fiber with 10µm core diameter and a fiber loop mirror....
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...The central lasing wavelength is around 1980 nm, which corresponds to the resonant peak of the SESAM....
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...The mode-locked Tm-doped silicate fiber laser experimental setup is shown in Figure 3 [9]....
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...The laser cavity was closed by a SESAM and a fiber mirror, a dielectric coating on the SMF-28 fiber facet....
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TL;DR: In this paper, a new type of fluorophosphate glasses with different Tm3+/Ho3+ doping concentrations have been prepared, and from the measured fluorescence spectra, strong emission near 2 μm is demonstrated in the samples.
Abstract: New type of fluorophosphate glasses with different Tm3+/Ho3+ doping concentrations have been prepared. From the measured fluorescence spectra, strong emission near 2 μm is demonstrated in the samples. Based on the absorption spectra, the Judd–Ofelt parameters and radiative properties were calculated and compared with those of other glass hosts. Then for our prepared Tm3+/Ho3+ codoped fluorophosphate glass, the higher predicted spontaneous transition probability (76.54 s−1) along with the larger calculated emission cross-section (6.15×10−21 cm2) gives evidence of intense 2 μm fluorescence. Besides, it is found that the optimum doping concentration is 4 mol% Tm3+/1 mol% Ho3+ for the strongest 2 μm emission in our prepared samples.
23 citations
TL;DR: A polarization-maintaining AS-PCF with degree of polarization of >85% was also achieved, for the first time to knowledge, in a phosphate PCF.
Abstract: Single-mode ytterbium-doped phosphate all-solid photonic crystal fiber (AS-PCF) with 13.8 W output power and 32% slope efficiency was reported. By altering the diameter of the rods around the doped core and thus breaking the symmetry of the fiber, a polarization-maintaining AS-PCF with degree of polarization of >85% was also achieved, for the first time to knowledge, in a phosphate PCF.
23 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an Er3+/Tm3++/Ho3+ tri-doped silicate glass with good thermal stability is prepared by melt-quenching method.
Abstract: A Er3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ tri-doped silicate glass with good thermal stability is prepared by melt-quenching method. Efficient ∼2 μm emission is observed under 808 nm laser excitation. It is found that the 2.0 μm emission of Ho3+ can be enhanced under the excitation at 808 nm by incorporating Er3+ and Tm3+. Based on the measurement of absorption spectra, the Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters, radiation emission probability, and branching ratio are calculated to evaluate the spectroscopic properties simultaneously. The maximum value of emission cross section of Ho3+ is 3.54 × 10−21 cm2 at 2008 nm. Additionally, the phonon assistance and the micro-parameters in the energy transfer process are quantitatively analyzed by using Dexter model. The energy transfer coefficient from Tm3+ to Ho3+ can reach as high as 21.44 × 10−40 cm6/s, respectively. The emission property together with good thermal property indicates that Er3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ tri-doped silicate glass is a potential kind of laser glass for efficient 2 μm laser.
23 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this article, a ring-cavity thulium fiber laser with a single-wall carbon nanotube absorber was used in transmission, achieving an average output power of 3.4 mW.
Abstract: We report a ring-cavity thulium fiber laser mode locked with a single-wall carbon nanotube absorber used in transmission. A carboxymethyl cellulose polymer film with incorporated carbon nanotubes synthesized by the arc discharge method has an absorption coinciding with in the amplification bandwidth of a Tm-doped fiber. This laser is pumped by an erbium fiber laser at 1.57 μm wavelength and produces a 37 MHz train of mode-locked 1.32 ps pulses at 1.93 μm wavelength with an average output power of 3.4 mW.
377 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an additive-pulse mode-locked (APM) thulium-doped fiber ring laser was presented, which produces 350-500 fs pulses tunable from 1798 to 1902 nm.
Abstract: We report an additive‐pulse mode‐locked (APM) thulium‐doped fiber ring laser producing 350–500 fs pulses tunable from 1798 to 1902 nm. The laser operates in the soliton regime, where periodic perturbations cause predictable sidebands and modulation in the optical spectrum.
245 citations
02 Jun 1996
TL;DR: A self-starting passively mode-locked thulium-doped silica fiber laser capable of 190-fs pulses is reported, achieved with a band-gap-engineered saturable absorber fabricated monolithically along with the output coupler of the laser by MOCVD.
Abstract: Summary form only given. We report a self-starting passively mode-locked thulium-doped silica fiber laser capable of 190-fs pulses. Mode-locking of the fiber laser was achieved with a band-gap-engineered saturable absorber fabricated monolithically along with the output coupler of the laser by MOCVD. Stable, single-pulse-in-the-cavity mode-locking was observed for a 2-m-long fiber laser utilizing a nanosecond response strained InGaAs detector.
203 citations
TL;DR: Stabilization of a thulium-holmium codoped fiber soliton laser with a saturable absorber based on carbon nanotubes with transform-limited 750-fs pulses with 0.5-nJ energy is reported.
Abstract: We report stabilization of a thulium-holmium codoped fiber soliton laser with a saturable absorber based on carbon nanotubes. The laser generates transform-limited 750-fs pulses with 0.5-nJ energy.
195 citations
TL;DR: A chain of four Tm-doped fibers amplified a single-frequency, 2040 nm diode laser to 608 W with M(2)=1.05+/-0.03, to be known as the highest power obtained from any single- frequencies, single-mode fiber laser.
Abstract: A chain of four Tm-doped fibers amplified a single-frequency, 2040 nm diode laser to 608 W with M2=1.05±0.03, limited by available pump power. Stimulated Brillouin scattering limits were investigated by splicing different lengths of passive fiber to the output of the final amplifier stage. Integrated rms phase noise above 1 kHz was less than λ/30, suggesting the possibility of further scaling via coherent beam combining. To our knowledge, this is the highest power obtained from any single-frequency, single-mode fiber laser.
192 citations