a Optoelectronics Research Center, The University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
b Department of Physics, The University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Abstract:
The fabrication of a highly efficient Nd3+-doped single-mode fiber laser operating at 1.06 μm is described. The Nd3+ is introduced by doping Nd2O3 into a multicomponent (flint) lead-silicate glass host, Schott commercial optical glass F7. A fabrication technique for doping rare-earth evenly into commercial optical glasses is demostrated. Spectroscopic properties relevant to laser operation in the Nd3+-doped lead-silicate glass fibers were measured and the influence of Pb2+ ions on the spectral properties was analyzed. Owing to the long lifetime and large absorption and emission cross-sections of Nd3+ in this lead-silicate glass host, a high-performance Nd3+-doped lead-silicate fibre laser device operating at 1.06 μm has been successfully demonstrated.