High-power pulsed diode-pumped Er:ZBLAN fiber laser

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Laser Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Continuous Wave (CW) Er:ZBLAN fiber lasers offer high efficiency but lack high peak power.
• Pulsed laser systems are desirable for applications requiring high peak intensities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a gain-switched Er:ZBLAN fiber laser.
• To achieve high peak and average output powers in a pulsed regime.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an active pulsed diode pump system for gain-switching.
• Employed an Er:ZBLAN fiber gain medium.
• Measured pulse duration, peak power, average power, and slope efficiency.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum peak power of 68 W, the highest reported for diode-pumped Er:ZBLAN lasers.
• Obtained 2 W of average power at 100 kHz repetition frequency, significantly exceeding previous pulsed results.
• Measured a pulse duration of approximately 300 ns, largely independent of pump frequency.
• Reported a slope efficiency of 34%.

Conclusions:

• The gain-switched Er:ZBLAN fiber laser successfully combines high peak power with high average power and efficiency.
• This pulsed laser system represents a significant advancement for applications demanding high-power, short-duration light pulses.