An approximate analytic solution of strongly pumped Yb-doped double-clad fiber lasers without neglecting the scattering loss

A theoretical analysis of strongly pumped Yb-doped double-clad fiber lasers is presented and an approximate analytic function of distributed laser along the whole fiber with the scattering loss is obtained for the first time. A comparison is made between the analytic solution and the exact numerical solution. The results have shown that the analytic function of distributed laser within the fiber is accurate and explicit. With the analytic solution the losses caused by laser scattering are shown in three different pump modes. The results verify that the backward pumping can get the highest output power in strongly pumped fiber lasers.     

大模面积双包层光纤激光频谱组束的实验效果

基于透射体布拉格光栅频谱组束的设计方案,采用半导体激光器作为泵浦源,以大模面积双包层Er3+/Yb3+共掺光纤为增益介质,报道了两束光纤激光频谱组束的实验结果。在两束光纤激光输出功率分别为0.39和0.53 W、光栅实际衍射效率不到60%的情况下,实现了组束功率为0.64 W、绝对组束效率高达69.6%的组束激光输出,并分析了实验过程中影响组束效率的因素。     

The analytical investigation of the super-Gaussian pump source on the thermal, stress and thermo-optics properties of double-clad Yb:glass fiber lasers

Fiber lasers have attracted considerable attention when their power can realistically be scaled to kilowatt level and beyond. In this paper, we assumed that the fiber core and first clad are exposed to a pump source with a super-Gaussian profile of order four. The effects of this non-uniform heat deposition on thermal, stress and thermooptics properties such as temperature-dependent change of refractive index and thermally induced stress have been comprehensively studied and their equations analytically derived.     

Comparative study of the output characteristics of ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber lasers with different pump schemes

The output characteristics of ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber lasers (YDCFLs) with different pump schemes are compared numerically in detail. The results show that the backward pumped YDCFL with pump reflection for double-pass scheme has the highest conversion efficiency, the most suitable for saving pump powers. As a result of the maximum output power per meter occurring in the forward pumped YDCFL with pump reflection, it means that this kind of pump scheme is preferable for saving YDCF lengths. Moreover, the output characteristic of the bi-directional pumped YDCFL is between forward and backward pumped ones.     

基于阿秒抖动光纤锁模激光器的时钟同步

光纤锁模激光器结构简单, 运转稳定, 且输出的超短脉冲序列具有极高的时钟稳定性, 在抽运探测、脉冲相干合成等要求高精度时钟同步的前沿领域有着广阔的应用前景. 本文通过激光器腔内的电光调制器进行反馈控制, 实现了两台光纤锁模激光器之间的紧密时钟信号同步; 并且通过平衡光学互相关方法, 对残余的时钟误差信号进行了测量, 分辨率达到了13 as. 通过优化激光器的腔内动力学过程及反馈环路的参数, 在[1 Hz, 10 MHz]的积分区间内得到了109 as的残余时钟误差, 对应单台激光器的平均时间抖动为77 as.     

Spectral beam combining of fiber lasers based on a transmitting volume Bragg grating

Based on the principle of spectral beam combining using a transmitting volume Bragg grating, a simple experimental setup was designed, in which an approach to control the incidence angles of beams using a focusing lens is presented. The experimental results for the spectral beam combining of two fiber lasers are reported. The gain media used in this experiment were large-mode area Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped double-clad fibers, pumped by semiconductor lasers. The output powers of the two fiber lasers were 0.39 and 0.53 W, respectively. With a grating diffraction efficiency of about 60%, a maximum combined power of 0.64 W with an absolute combining efficiency of about 69.6% was achieved.     

Theoretical analysis of feedback high birefringence fiber loop mirror for application in single-frequency fiber lasers

A feedback high birefringence fiber loop mirror with a piece of erbium-doped fiber and a polarization controller is newly proposed. When the erbium-doped fiber is properly pumped to offset the loss of the feedback ring in the loop mirror, narrowband transmission peaks with large effective free spectral range can be achieved by the intrinsic vernier effect between orthogonally polarized lights respectively traveling along the two primary axes of the high birefringence fiber. In addition, the side transmission suppression ratio can reach about 6 dB. These special properties are independent of the polarization state of the input signal, which makes it feasible for the proposed feedback high birefringence fiber loop mirror to be employed as a narrowband filter in single-frequency fiber lasers.     

Systematical analysis of mode-locked fiber lasers using single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorbers

The output characteristics of the Er-doped mode-locked fiber laser using a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber are investigated theoretically with a nonlinear Schrtidinger equation and a saturable absorption equation using realistic parameters. Stable self-starting mode-locking pulses are achieved under net normal, net zero, and net anomalous cavity group velocity dispersion （GVD） respectively. A spectrum with a flat top is obtained from the net normal cavity GVD laser while a spectrum with Kelly side-bands is obtained from the net anomalous cavity GVD laser. The characteristics of the pulse duration changing with cavity GVD and modulation depth of the single-walled carbon nanotubes are discussed. The characteristics of the mode-locking pulses from net normal, net zero, and net anomalous cavity GVD mode-locked fiber lasers are compared. These systematical results are useful for designing mode-locked fiber lasers with saturable absorbers made by different kinds of carbon nano-materials.     

Threshold analysis of fiber-coupler-combined fiber lasers

Threshold conditions of coherently combined fiber lasers, joint by fiber couplers (FCs), have been studied. After considering the phase change of a light wave crossing the fiber inside the FC, it has been shown that, at the two input ports of the coupler connecting with the amplifying fibers, the phase difference between the two incoming fields should be equal to −π/2 if the threshold gain of the compound system is to be minimized. Starting from these input ports, following the circulations of waves, threshold conditions can be established. Expressions for the output and leakage powers, and optimum coupler splitting ratio nullifying the leakage when constituent fiber lasers giving different free-running powers have been derived. And, the threshold gain reductions of individual lasers after being coherently combined have been predicted.     

三能级光纤激光器速率方程组的阈值解析解

 在考虑了泵浦损耗及激光损耗的情况下,解析求解了阈值泵浦下的三能级光纤激光器速率方程组,获得了泵浦功率阈值的显函数解析表达式,泵浦功率沿光纤变化的隐函数表达式,以及用功率变化表示的各个能级的粒子数密度随位置变化的显函数表达式。并利用这些表达式对光纤激光器的阈值特性进行了研究,研究表明：泵浦功率阈值随泵浦损耗系数增大而增大;激光上能级粒子数密度随归一化位置呈下降趋势,而下能级粒子数密度的变化与此相反;泵浦功率阈值越大(光纤长度越长),净增益系数随归一位置下降就越快。所获得的结果适用于单包层和双包层光纤激光器。     

掺Tm~(3+)光纤激光器的热效应分析

随着泵浦源功率的提高和双包层抽运技术的发展,掺Tm3+光纤激光器的输出功率已达到kW量级,热效应逐渐成为限制掺Tm3+光纤激光器输出功率和光束质量提高的关键因素。主要分析了掺Tm3+光纤激光器的热效应以及一些常用的应对措施。     

Directly diode-pumped holmium fiber lasers

Sensitizer-free holmium-doped silica and fluoride mid-infrared fiber lasers are pumped using a high-power diode laser operating at 1148 nm. A maximum output power of 162 mW at 2.86 microm was produced at a slope efficiency of 24% using Ho(3+), Pr(3+)-doped fluoride fiber. Using Ho(3+)-doped silica fiber, a maximum output power of 55 mW at 2.1 microm was generated at a slope efficiency of 27%, a value limited by the presence of pump excited state absorption.     

单模光纤激光极限功率的数值研究

对光纤激光极限功率的探索和其受限因素的分析, 有利于为大功率光纤激光器的发展提供理论依据和实验指导. 本文考虑热效应、光效应、非线性效应和抽运亮度等因素对光纤激光极限功率的影响, 分析了掺镱和掺铥光纤的极限功率和受限因素. 在此基础上, 结合激光在光纤中单模传输的条件, 计算了单模掺镱和掺铥光纤激光的极限功率. 计算结果表明, 在现有技术条件下, 使用常规的976 nm和793 nm激光二极管抽运, 单模掺镱和掺铥光纤激光的极限功率分别为4.2 kW和7.8 kW, 其中单模掺铥光纤激光的功率水平还远低于它的极限功率的原因是受抽运亮度的限制. 最后分析指出减小纤芯的数值孔径和改进少模光束的光束质量是提升单模光纤激光极限功率的重要途径.     

High power fiber lasers

In this review article, the development of the double cladding optical fiber for high power fiber lasers is reviewed. The main technology for high power fiber lasers, including laser diode beam shaping, fiber laser pumping techniques, and amplification systems, are discussed in detail. 1050 W CW output and 133 W pulsed output are obtained in Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, China. Finally, the applications of fiber lasers in industry are also reviewed.      

Modeling and optimization of stable gain-switched Tm-doped fiber lasers

A numerical model that describes the operation behaviors and output characteristics of stable gain-switched Tm-doped fiber (Tm:fiber) lasers resonantly pumped at 1.56 mm is presented in this paper. Effects of some important laser parameters, such as repetition rates, pump power levels, transmission of the laser output coupler, fiber core sizes, fiber lengths, Tm concentrations, etc., on laser output were investigated. The model and simulating results were verified by preliminary experiments and good agreements have been achieved, suggesting that the model are useful for design and optimization of stable gain-switched Tm:fiber lasers at 2 mm wavelength region.     

Optimization of pumping mode for double-clad fiber lasers

A theoretical modeling of Yb-doped double-clad fiber lasers under various pumping modes including arbitrary numbers of end-pump and side-pump is introduced. Approximate analytic expressions of distributed lasers along the whole fiber are derived, and their accuracies are investigated. The effect of the pumping mode on the output performance of fiber lasers is discussed. The numerical results show that the approximate analytic solution is in excellent agreement with the exact numerical solution of the rate equations, the output power in the side-pump scheme is lower than that in end-pumping scheme, and more uniform distributions of laser and pump powers can be achieved by adopting the distributed pump mode and optimizing the arrangement of pump powers. However, further flattening the pump distribution by using more pump points can degrade the laser efficiency.     

窄线宽脉冲光纤激光的自相位调制预补偿研究

自相位调制(SPM)效应会展宽窄线宽脉冲光纤激光的光谱宽度,降低其相干性.通过相位调制对SPM引起的非线性相移进行预补偿,能够使脉冲激光在光纤中进行放大和传输后保持种子激光的光谱特性.基于三波耦合方程开展数值仿真,研究了在对SPM进行"欠补偿","完全补偿"和"过补偿"的情况下,SPM预补偿对受激布里渊散射阈值和激光光谱特性的影响.开展了SPM预补偿实验研究,将脉冲激光的光谱宽度从1.4 GHz压缩到120 MHz.研究内容可以为窄线宽脉冲光纤激光系统的设计搭建提供参考.     

Mutual injection locking and coherent combining of three individual fiber lasers

Mutual injection locking and coherent combining of three individual erbium-doped fiber lasers are reported. Theoretical model of the three fiber lasers under mutual injection is also analyzed. Under free running state, the far field beam profile is a simple intensity superposition as three incoherent beams. Under mutual injection locking, interference lobes with high contrast ratio are obtained in the far field of three fiber lasers, which shows that the three fiber lasers have good interference characteristic under mutual injection. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical results. According to this method, we can also realize coherent beam combining in more fiber lasers.     

Feasibility study of optically pumped molecular lasers with small quantum defect

An analytical analysis of continuous wave (CW) optically pumped molecular lasers with small quantum defect is presented. The results show the conditions under which lasing with small Stokes shifts are possible. The general results are applied to HCN as an example gas. The predictions from the analytical approach are in good quantitative agreement with numerical calculations. The effective vibrational lifetimes and rotational relaxation rates of the molecule determine the principal behavior of such lasers. High overall laser efficiencies are possible for long interaction length of pump laser and gas media, which for example can be achieved in waveguide structures. This makes such lasers potentially interesting for coherently combining the output of mutually incoherent fiber and or diode lasers.     

Four-wave mixing self-stability based on photonic crystal fiber and its applications on erbium-doped fiber lasers

The analytic solutions of coupled-mode equations of four-wave mixings (FWMs) are achieved by means of the undepleted approximation and the perturbation method. The self-stability mechanism of the FWM processes is theoretically proved and is applicable to design a new kind of triple-wavelength erbium-doped fiber lasers. The proposed fiber lasers with excellent stability and uniformity are demonstrated by using a flat-near-zero-dispersion high-nonlinear photonic-crystal-fiber. The significant excellence is analyzed in theory and is proved in experiment. Our fiber lasers can stably lase three waves with the power ripple of less than 0.4 dB.