Watt-level fibre MOPA in 2.9 µm water vapor window seeded by Q-switched fibre laser. (26th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Han; Lyu, Yanjia; Wei, Chen; Shi, Hongxia; Li, Qingru; Jiang, Shurong; Liu, Yong
• Is Part Of: Laser physics letters. Volume 15:Number 9(2018:Sep.)
• Publication Date: 2018-07-26
• Subjects: Holmium-doped ZBLAN fiber amplifiers -- mid-infrared -- optical fiber laser -- Q-switched laser; Lasers -- Periodicals; Physics -- Periodicals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1088/1612-202X/aacfa9
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1612-2011

Abstract

Abstract: We demonstrate a holmium and praseodymium (Ho 3+ /Pr 3+ )-codoped ZrF4 -BrF2 -LaF3 -AlF3 -NaF (ZBLAN) fiber amplifier for Q-switched pulses in the wavelength region near to 2.9 µ m, which, to the best of our knowledge, circumvents strong water vapor lines for the first time. The master oscillator was a semiconductor saturable absorption mirror based passively Q-switched Ho 3+ /Pr 3+ -codoped fluoride fiber laser. Next, a one-stage Ho 3+ /Pr 3+ -codoped ZBLAN fiber amplifier was used to boost its average output power to 1.02 W, three times more than any previously published values from passively Q-switched Ho 3+ -doped fluoride fiber lasers. The pulse duration and repetition rate were 920 ns and 215.6 kHz, respectively, at a slope efficiency of 25.5%. Such a laser source is attractive for human tissue laser surgery, industrial materials modification, and remote sensing.