A high-Q low threshold thulium-doped silica microsphere laser in the 2 μm wavelength region designed for gas sensing applications

Abstract

A high-Q and low threshold laser resonator, operating in the 2 μm wavelength region, has been demonstrated by coupling a thulium-doped silica microsphere to a tapered fibre. Microspheres with diameters ranging from fifty to a few hundred micrometres were carefully fabricated for this purpose by melting an etched-clad thulium-doped silica fibre tip using a focused beam from a CO2 laser, while the tapered fibre with waist diameter in the desired range of 2 μm was fabricated by using heating and stretching of standard single-mode telecommunication fibre. The tapered fibre served the dual purpose of transporting pump power into the sphere and allowing the extraction of the resulting laser emission. Under excitation at a wavelength of ∼1.6 μm, lasing occurred at wavelengths over the range from 1.9 to 2.0 μm. Single-mode laser operation was obtained by exciting the fundamental whispering gallery mode resonance of the microsphere, while multi-mode lasing occurred for non-fundamental mode excitation. The threshold power of the laser was measured to be about 50 μW delivered pump power, and a maximum laser power of 0.8 mW at around 1.94 μm was observed for a 6 mW pump power, operating at wavelengths around 1.6 μm. The laser was designed as a low threshold and compact source for miniaturized gas sensing devices operating over this important wavelength region.