4.5 W mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a ZBLAN fiber pumped by a Q-switched mode-locked Tm3+- doped fiber laser

C. Kneis*, B. Donelan, A. Berrou, I. Manek-Hoenninger, B. Cadier, T. Robin, M. Poulain, F. Joulain, M. Eichhorn, C. Kieleck

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The generation of mid-infrared (mid-IR) supercontinuum (SC) radiation, ranging from 2 - 5 mu m, is subject of intense research due to its wide range of applications. A very popular host media for mid-IR SC generation are soft glass fibers owing to their low-loss transmission in the mid-IR wavelength regime, particularly fluoride fibers are very attractive for high-power operation. In this research study, a diode-pumped Q-switched mode-locked (QML) thulium (Tm3+) - doped double-clad silica fiber laser is used to pump a ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF (ZBLAN) fiber for mid-IR SC generation. The QML regime of the fiber laser is actively generated by two acousto-optic modulators. The Tm3+-fiber laser provided up to 23.5 W (26 W) of average output power in QML (continuous wave) regime with a slope efficiency of 36 % (32 %). The measured beam quality has been close to the diffraction-limit in QML regime. The system delivered mode-locked pulses with a duration of 7.5 ps, measured with a commercial autocorrelator system, at a repetition rate of 46 MHz. The Q-switched envelopes had a width between 50 and 150 ns depending on the output power level and the adjustable repetition rate. Mid-IR SC with an average output power in all spectral bands of 4.5 W have been achieved with more than 3 W/ 1.7 W/ 1 W/ 0.36 W after a long-wave-pass filter with a 3 dB-edge at 2.15 mu m/ 2.65 mu m/ 3.1 mu m/ 3.5 mu m.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSolid State Lasers XXIV: Technology and Devices
EditorsWA Clarkson, RK Shori
Place of PublicationBellingham
PublisherSPIE
Number of pages6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
EventConference on Solid State Lasers XXIV - Technology and Devices - San Francisco, Canada
Duration: 8 Feb 201510 Feb 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE
PublisherSPIE
Volume9342
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Conference

ConferenceConference on Solid State Lasers XXIV - Technology and Devices
Country/TerritoryCanada
Period8/02/1510/02/15

Keywords

  • Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation
  • Tm3+- doped fiber laser
  • Q-switched mode-locking
  • ZBLAN
  • TIME-AVERAGED POWER
  • MU-M FIBER
  • FLUORIDE FIBERS

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