Recent developments in lanthanide-doped mid-infrared fluoride fiber lasers [Invited]

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Technology

Background:

• Mid-infrared (MIR) fiber sources emitting between 2.5 µm and 5.0 µm are highly promising.
• Key advantages include high power, diffraction-limited beam quality, and robust monolithic architecture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent progress in continuous wave (CW) and pulsed MIR fiber lasers.
• To highlight components enabling field deployment and industrial integration.
• To illustrate the potential of MIR fiber lasers through selected applications.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on advancements in MIR fiber laser technology.
• Analysis of enabling components for practical applications.
• Case studies of selected MIR fiber laser applications.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in both CW and pulsed MIR fiber laser development.
• Key components are maturing, facilitating practical implementation.
• Demonstrated potential across material processing, biomedicine, remote sensing, and countermeasures.

Conclusions:

• MIR fiber lasers are nearing practical deployment in industrial and field settings.
• Continued development of MIR fiber lasers will expand their application scope.
• These sources represent a significant advancement in laser technology.