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Tm(3+)/Ho(3+) codoped tellurite fiber laser
Yuen Tsang1, Billy Richards, David Binks
1Photon Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. yuen.tsang@manchester.ac.uk
Optics Letters
|June 3, 2008
Summary
This study demonstrates continuous-wave and Q-switched lasing at 2.1 microm using thulium (Tm3+)/holmium (Ho3+) codoped tellurite fiber. The fiber laser achieved a 62% slope efficiency and 160 ns pulses.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Laser Physics
Background:
- Tellurite fibers offer unique optical properties for mid-infrared applications.
- Codoping with Tm3+ and Ho3+ enables efficient energy transfer for laser emission.
- In-band pumping is a crucial technique for high-efficiency fiber lasers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate continuous-wave (CW) and Q-switched lasing performance of Tm3+/Ho3+ codoped tellurite fiber.
- To utilize an Yb3+/Er3+-doped silica fiber laser as an in-band pump source.
- To characterize the laser output parameters, including efficiency, threshold, pulse energy, and duration.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Tm3+/Ho3+ codoped tellurite fiber.
- In-band pumping of Tm3+ ions at 1.6 microm using an Yb3+/Er3+-doped silica fiber laser.
- Experimental setup for both CW and mechanical Q-switched laser operation.
- Characterization of laser output power, wavelength, slope efficiency, threshold, pulse energy, and duration.
Main Results:
- Achieved CW lasing at 2.1 microm with a slope efficiency of 62% and a threshold of 0.1 W.
- Demonstrated maximum CW output power of 0.16 W.
- Obtained Q-switched pulses with 0.65 microJ energy and 160 ns duration at a 19.4 kHz repetition rate.
Conclusions:
- Tm3+/Ho3+ codoped tellurite fiber is a promising gain medium for 2.1 microm fiber lasers.
- In-band pumping provides an efficient excitation mechanism for this laser system.
- The demonstrated CW and Q-switched performance highlights the potential for various applications in the mid-infrared region.
