Monolithic Nd:YAG fiber laser.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) is a widely used laser gain medium.
• Miniaturization of laser systems is crucial for various applications.
• Guided-wave laser oscillators offer potential for compact and efficient laser sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the operation of a monolithic, guided-wave laser oscillator using a single-crystal Nd:YAG fiber.
• To characterize the performance of the Nd:YAG fiber laser in terms of threshold and efficiency.
• To assess the spatial mode quality of the generated laser output.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a single-crystal Nd:YAG fiber with specific dimensions (47-microm diameter, 7-mm length).
• Polishing and coating of the fiber endfaces to act as reflective surfaces.
• Operation of the fiber as a monolithic, guided-wave laser oscillator.

Main Results:

• The Nd:YAG fiber laser oscillator operated successfully with a low threshold power of 3.7 mW.
• A slope efficiency of 10.5% was achieved, indicating good power conversion.
• Seventy-five percent of the output laser power was concentrated in the fundamental spatial mode, signifying high beam quality.

Conclusions:

• A monolithic, guided-wave Nd:YAG fiber laser oscillator can be effectively realized.
• The developed fiber laser exhibits efficient performance and good spatial mode quality.
• This technology holds promise for compact and high-performance laser sources.