Glass fiber laser at 1.36 microm from SiO(2):Nd

Area of Science:

• Fiber optics
• Laser physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Neodymium-doped silica fibers are crucial for laser applications.
• Optimizing fiber composition is key to enhancing laser performance and achieving specific wavelengths.
• Understanding excited-state absorption is vital for efficient laser design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of P(2)O(5) doping on SiO(2):Nd fiber laser emission.
• To characterize the laser performance at 1.36 micrometers.
• To evaluate the gain and excited-state absorption characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of 14 mol % P(2)O(5) into the core of SiO(2):Nd fibers.
• Analysis of fluorescent spectra.
• Measurement of laser thresholds for specific transitions ((4)F(3/2) to (4)I(11/2) and (4)F(3/2) to (4)I(13/2)).

Main Results:

• Achieved laser emission at 1.36 micrometers.
• Determined a net gain of 0.024 dB/mW at 1.36 micrometers.
• Estimated the ratio of excited-state absorption to stimulated emission as 0.78.

Conclusions:

• P(2)O(5) doping effectively enables laser emission at 1.36 micrometers in SiO(2):Nd fibers.
• The achieved net gain suggests potential for practical applications.
• The excited-state absorption ratio provides insights for further fiber optimization.