High-energy single-frequency pulsed fiber MOPA at 1064 nm based on a hybrid active-fiber

We report a single-frequency pulsed Yb-doped fiber master-oscillator-power-amplifier at 1064 nm producing output with pulse energy of 0.6 mJ for a pulse width of 95 ns at a pulse repetition frequency of 5 kHz. Integral to this laser design was the application of a hybrid active-fiber, which integrated a length of heavily Yb-doped phosphosilicate fiber (with a core diameter of 50 μm) with a silica gain fiber (with core diameter of 35 μm). This was used in the power amplifier stage to both suppress stimulated Brillouin scattering and to enhance the gain saturation for improved efficiency and spectral signal to noise ratio. The seed pulses were pre-shaped so that sawtooth-like pulses were obtained after amplification, this having the effect of preventing linewidth broadening induced by self-phase modulation. A spectral linewidth of ∼15 MHz was measured at the maximum peak power of 6.3 kW.