Q-Switched Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser Using Black Phosphorus as Saturable Absorber

We demonstrate a Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser （YDFL） using a newly developed multi-layer black phosphorous （BP） saturable absorber （SA）. The BP SA is prepared by mechanically exfoliating a BP crystal and sticking the acquired BP flakes onto a scotch tape. A small piece of the tape is then placed between two ferrules and incorporated in a YDFL cavity to achieve a stable Q-switched operation in a 1.0 μm region. The laser has a pump threshold of 55.1 mW, a pulse repetition rate that is tunable from 8.2 to 32.9 kHz, and the narrowest pulse width of 10.8 μs. The highest pulse energy of 328 nJ is achieved at the pump power of 97.6 mW. Our results show that multi-layer BP is a promising SA for Q-switching laser operation.

A kW Continuous-Wave Ytterbium-Doped All-Fiber Laser Oscillator with Domestic Fiber Components and Gain Fiber

We demonstrate a kW continuous-wave ytterbium-doped all-fiber laser oscillator with M1 domestic fiber compo- nents： a 7× I fused fiber bundle combiner, a fiber Bragg grating and a double-clad gain fiber. The oscillator operates at 1079.48nrn with 80.94% slope efficiency and shows no limit of temperature and nonlinear effects. These indicate that the passive fiber components and the gain fiber are all qualified for the high power environ- ment. No evidence of the signal power roll-over shows that this oscillator possesses the capacity to higher output with available pump power.

Wavelength-Tunable Single Frequency Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser with Loop Mirror Filter

By using a loop mirror filter, a novel wavelength-tunable single-frequency ytterbium-doped fiber laser is developed to select single longitudinal modes in a linear cavity. The output wavelength could be tuned 2.4 nm intervals range from 1063.3 to 1065.Tnrn with the temperature change of the fiber Bragg grating. The maximum output power could reach 32 m W while the pump power increases to 120 m W. The corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is 26.7% and the slope efficiency is 33.9%, respectively. The output power fluctuation is below 2%, and its highest signal-to-noise ratio is 60 dB.

Optical properties of ytterbium-doped tandem-pumped fiber oscillator

With the rapid development of ytterbium-doped fiber lasers, some obtrusive limitations on power scaling appeared. In order to avoid these problems, a scheme called tandem pumping is introduced into the fiber laser field. In this paper, the optical properties of an ytterbium-doped tandem-pumped fiber oscillator are presented. According to the oscillator profile, the proper gain fiber type and pump wavelength range are picked out, under the comprehensive consideration of laser conversion efficiency and beam quality. In addition, the photodarkening performances of tandem pumping lasers and conventional ones are compared based on practical application, with all possible impact parameters taken into account. Moreover, an all-fibered tandem-pumped oscillator centered at 1079.5 nm is built, in the way of clad pumping by a 1030-nm fiber laser. The laser power of the oscillator reaches 7 W, with an opto-optic efficiency of 82.4%.

Dual-Wavelength Passively Q-Switched Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser Based on Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticle Saturable Absorbers

We report on generation of a dual-wavelength, all-fiber, passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser using aluminum oxide nanoparticle （Al2O3-NP） thin film. A thin film of Al2O3 was prepared by embedding Al2O3-NPs into a polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） as a host polymer, and then inserted between two fiber ferrules to act as a saturable absorber （SA）. By incorporating the Al2O3-PVA SA into the laser cavity, a stable dual-wavelength pulse output centered at 1050 and 1060.7nm is observed at threshold pump power of 80mW. As the pump power is gradually increased from 80 to 300mW, the repetition rate of the generated pulse increases from 16.23 to 59 kHz, while the pulse width decreases from 19 to 6μs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration for this type of SA operating in the 1 μm region.

Low-Threshold Broadband Spectrum Generation by Amplification of Cascaded Stimulated Raman Scattering in an Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier

We present an experimental study on low-threshold broadband spectrum generation mainly due to the amplirfication of the cascaded stimulated Raman scattering （SRS） effect in a four-stage fiber master oscillator power amplifier system. The cascaded SRS is achieved by using a long passive fiber pumped by a pulsed fiber laser cen： tered at wavelength 1064 nm. The amplified spontaneous emission during the amplification process is efficiently suppressed by cutting the length of the passive fiber and by using a double-clad ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier. The generated broadband spectrum spans from 960nm to 1700nm with maximum average output 13.6 W and average spectral power density approximately 17. 7 mW/nm.

Absorption efficiency of graded-index double-clad fiber lasers

Absorption efficiency of graded-index double-clad fiber lasers or amplifiers is analyzed. As ray optics method is no longer valid for graded-index case, the mode analysis method is used. Calculated results show that absorption efficiency for a graded-index is higher than that for a step-index in symmetric case. In offset core case, the graded-index can achieve the same absorption efficiency with much smaller offset distance. Absorption efficiencies for different graded-index profiles of the inner cladding are compared.

2×3 kW bidirectional output fiber oscillator employing spindle-shaped ytterbium-doped fiber

A 2×3 kW-level bidirectional output fiber oscillator is realized by combining the specially designed spindle-shaped ytterbium-doped fiber,non-wavelength-stabilized 976-nm LDs,and grating bandwidth optimization to balance transverse mode instability and stimulated Raman scattering.The maximum output powers at both ends are 3265 and 2840 W,respectively,with a total efficiency of 73.2%.The M^(2) factors of the lasers at both ends are about 1.98 and 2.38,respectively.The beam profile at both ends shows that a bidirectional output annular beam fiber oscillator has been realized,which has great potential in practical applications.

Demonstration of multi-Watt all-fiber superfluorescent source operating near 980 nm

The superfluorescent Yb-doped fiber source operating near 980 nm is studied. The design requirement is theoretically discussed aiming to suppress the amplified spontaneous emission around 1030 nm in the 980-rim superfluorescent fiber source. Based on the theoretical study, a multi-Watt, all-fiber, bi-directional, pumped, superfluorescent source operating near 980 nm is designed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The recorded 8.38-W combined output power is obtained with a 3-dB bandwidth about 3.5 nm. The power scaling of the 980-nm superlfuorescent fiber source is limited by the parasitic laser oscillation.

Fiber core mode leakage induced by refractive index variation in high-power fiber laser

This paper presents an investigation of specific optical fiber core mode leakage behavior that occurs in high-power double-clad fiber lasers as a result of thermally-induced refractive index variations. A model of the power transfer between the core modes and the cladding modes during thermally-induced refractive index variations is established based on the mode coupling theory. The results of numerical simulations based on actual laser parameters are presented. Experimental measurements were also carried out, the results showed good agreement with the corresponding simulation results.

The Formation of Fringes of Equal Chromatic Order across Double Clad Fiber in the Presence of High Power Lasers

Multiple-beam fringes of equal chromatic order interferometry is a powerful technique to extract optical properties over a continuous range of spectrum. In this paper we develop a theory for the spectral shape of the fringes of equal chromatic order (FECO) that are formed across a double-clad fiber. The modified single term Sellmeier dispersion formula is used to construct the refractive index dispersion curves for the liquid, claddings, and core. Expressions for the paraxial optical path length for several rays passing through the fiber and the liquid are developed. The condition of bright fringe is applied to get an analytical expression for the spectral shape of the FECO across a double-clad fiber with an elliptical/circular inner cladding. A potential application of this theory is to determine the dispersion of Kerr constant of the claddings and the core of the fiber. To illustrate the theory and its application, simulation examples are provided and discussed.

Novel constant-cladding tapered-core ytterbium-doped fiber for high-power fiber laser oscillator

Power scaling based on traditional ytterbium-doped fibers(YDFs)is limited by optical nonlinear effects and transverse mode instability(TMI)in high-power fiber lasers.Here,we propose a novel long tapered fiber with a constant cladding and tapered core(CCTC)along its axis direction.The tapered-core region of the fiber is designed to enhance the stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)threshold and suppress higher-order mode resonance in the laser cavity.The CCTC YDF was fabricated successfully with a modified chemical vapor deposition(MCVD)method combined with solution doping technology,which has a cladding diameter of 400µm and a varying core with a diameter of~24μm at both ends and~31μm in the middle.To test the performance of the CCTC fiber during high-power operation,an all-fiber laser oscillator based on a CCTC YDF was investigated experimentally.As a result,a maximum output power of 3.42 kW was achieved with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 55.2%,although the TMI effect was observed at an output power of~3.12 kW.The measured beam quality(M^(2)factor)was~1.7,and no sign of the Raman component was observed in the spectrum.We believe that CCTC YDF has great potential to simultaneously mitigate the SRS and TMI effects,and further power scaling is promising by optimizing the structure of the YDF.

272 W quasi-single-mode picosecond pulse laser of ytterbium-doped large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber

A large-mode-area（LMA） ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fiber（PCF） with core NA of 0.034 and core diameter of 50 μm was made by the stack-and-draw technique. The core is formed by Yb3+/Al3+/F-/P5+ co-doped silica glass containing 0.09 mol% Yb2O3 with an absorption coefficient at 976 nm up to 3.2 d B/m. The core glass with homogeneous distribution of Yb3+ ions and refractive index difference of 4 × 10-4 compared with pure silica was prepared by the sol-gel method and heat homogenization at 2000°C. Laser power amplification of this LMA PCF was studied using a seed source of 21 ps pulse duration and 48.7 MHz repetition rate at 1030 nm wavelength. With pump power of 520 W, a maximum 272 W（266 k W peak power） quasi-single-mode laser output with M2 of 2.2 was achieved in a 4.7 m fiber length bent at a diameter of 47 cm with slope efficiency of 52%, and no obvious mode instability, stimulated Raman scattering, or thermal damage on the end facet of the fiber were observed.

Passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser using the evanescent field interaction with bulk-like WTe_2 particles

The potential of bulk-like WTe2 particles for the realization of a passive Q-switch operating at the 1 μm wavelength was investigated. The WTe2 particles were prepared using a simple mechanical exfoliation method together with Scotch tape. By attaching bulk-like WTe2 particles, which remained on the top of the sticky surface of a small segment of the Scotch tape, to the flat side of a side-polished fiber, a saturable absorber（SA） was readily implemented. A strong saturable absorption was then readily obtained through an evanescent field interaction with the WTe2 particles. The modulation depth of the prepared SA was measured as ~2.18% at 1.03 μm. By incorporating the proposed SA into an all-fiberized ytterbium-doped fiber ring cavity, stable Qswitched pulses were readily achieved.

Tunable passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser with mechanically exfoliated GaSe saturable absorber

A tunable passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser using few-layer gallium selenide（GaSe） as a saturable absorber（SA） is demonstrated.The few-layer GaSe SA,which is fabricated by the mechanical exfoliation method,is able to generate a Q-switched fiber laser that has a maximum repetition rate of 92.6 kHz and a minimum pulsed width of 2.3 μs.The highest pulse energy exhibited by the generated pulse is 18.8 nJ with a signal to noise ratio of ~40 dB.The tunability of the proposed laser covers from 1042 to 1082 nm,giving a tuning range of 40 nm.

Mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser with zinc phthalocyanine thin film saturable absorber

A stable mode-locked laser was demonstrated using a newly developed zinc phthalocyanine(ZnPc)thin film as passive saturable absorber(SA)in ytterbium-doped fiber laser(YDFL).The ZnPc thin film was obtained using a casting method and then inserted between the two fiber ferrules of a YDFL ring cavity to generate mode-locked pulses.The resulting pulsed laser operated at a wavelength of 1034.5 nm having a repetition rate of 3.3 MHz.At pump power of 277 mW,the maximum output power and pulse energy are achieved at 4.92 mW and 1.36 nJ,respectively.ZnPc has a high chemical and photochemical stability,and its significance for use as a potential SA in a mode-locked laser is reported in this work.

Optimization of spectral distortion in a ytterbium-doped mode-locked fiber laser system

A method for optimizing the spectral distortion of an ultrafast pulse in a polarization-maintaining picosecond linear-cavity fiber laser with a one-stage fiber amplifier is proposed and demonstrated. The mechanism of control of the spectral distortion in the fiber system has been investigated. The experimental and theoretical results illustrate that the filtering effect of a fiber Bragg grating can effectively decrease the spectral oscillatory distortion accumulated by self-phase modulation. Injected into a Nd:YAG regenerative amplifier, the ultrafast pulse could produce high pulse energy of 1.2 mJ at a repetition rate of 1 kHz.

Broadband Acoustic Vibration Sensor Based on Cladding-Mode Resonance of Double-Cladding Fiber

We have proposed and demonstrated a double-cladding fiber (DCF) with cladding?mode resonance property for broadband acoustic vibration sensing. Since the fundamental mode in the core waveguide is able to be coupled to LP05 mode in the tube waveguide once the phase-matching condition is fulfilled, the transmission spectrum can exhibit a dip with a large extinction ratio. An acoustic vibration could induce the wavelength shift of such transmission spectrum, so that the intensity variation at a wavelength near the dip is coded with the information of the acoustic vibration signal. By demodulating the response of intensity variation, the frequency of the applied acoustic vibration signal can be recovered. Such a DCF-based sensor with an intensity modulation could measure the acoustic vibration with a broadband frequency range from 1 Hz to 400 kHz and exhibits the maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of ?80.79 dB when the vibration frequency is 20 kHz. The obtained results show that the proposed DCF-based acoustic vibration sensor has a potential application in environmental assessment, structural damage detection, and health monitoring.

An acousto-optic Q-switched fiber laser using China-made double-cladding fiber

A simple laser-diode pumped acoustic-optic Q-switched fiber laser is reported by using China-made largemode-area ytterbium-doped fiber. Q-switched pulses with a beam quality factor of M^2 ≈ 2 and several hundred nanoseconds pulse duration are achieved at the repetition rate of 1 - 50 kHz. When the repetition rate is 1 kHz, the pulse energy is 0.93 mJ with the pulse duration of 132 ns. Meanwhile, the profile of laser pulses shows some mode-locking phenomena, the mechanism of the phenomena is discussed.

A strain-induced birefringent double-clad fiber Bragg grating

A strain-induced birefringence double-clad (DC) fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed and demonstrated. The grating is fabricated in the core of rectangular inner cladding double clad fiber by using phase mask method. By applying lateral strain on the grating, the birefringence is induced. In order to detect the birefringent effect of the grating, we use it as the output mirror of a laser. When lateral strain is applied, the grating becomes birefringent. Therefore, one reflection peak of double-clad fiber Bragg grating becomes two peaks and the laser also lases in two wavelengths. The wavelength spacing of the laser can be tuned from 0 to 0.8 nm. The absolute wavelengths for the two polarizations can be tuned 1.2 and 2.0 nm, respectively.