Abstract
The use of the high-power Tm3+-doped silica fiber laser as a pump source for Ho3+ -doped silica and Ho3+ -doped fluoride fiber lasers for the generation of 2.1-μm radiation is demonstrated. The Ho3+-doped silica fiber laser produced a maximum output power of 1.5 W at a slope efficiency of ∼82%; one of the highest slope efficiencies measured for a fiber laser. In a nonoptimized but similar fiber laser arrangement, a Ho3+ -doped fluoride fiber laser produced an output power of 0.38 W at 2.08 μm at a slope efficiency of ∼50%. A Raman fiber laser operating at 1160 nm was also used to pump a Ho3+ -doped fluoride fiber laser operating at a wavelength of 2.86 μm. An output power of 0.31 W was produced at a slope efficiency of 10%. The energy transfer upconversion process that depopulates the lower laser level in this case operates at a higher efficiency when the pump wavelength is closer to the absorption peak of the 5J6 energy level, however, this energy transfer process does not impede to a great extent the performance of the Ho3+ -doped fluoride fiber laser based on the ∼ 2.1-μm laser transition.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 01580647 |
Pages (from-to) | 187-191 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2006 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
An erratum for this article exists and can be found in the IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 42, issue 3, p. 341. DOI: 10.1109/JQE.2006.871535Keywords
- Fiber lasers
- High efficiency
- High power
- Holmium
- Midinfrared
- Raman fiber lasers