Optimal design of high-power cascade co-pumping Er/Yb-codoped fiber lasers.

Abstract

The Yb-ASE problem has been a main obstacle to the power scaling of Er/Yb-codoped fiber lasers (EYDFLs). In this Letter, cascade co-pumping high-power EYDFLs, i.e., EYDFLs with an Yb-band resonant cavity, are proposed and systematically analyzed, for the first time to the best of our knowledge. A high-Q Yb-band cavity is introduced in an EYDFL to lock and recycle the Yb band energy. The oscillation wavelength of the Yb cavity, the reflectivity of the output fiber grating, and the length of the fiber are optimized numerically. Thermal effects are also considered in the study. The simulation results show that compared to ordinary EYDFLs, the introduction of an appropriate Yb cavity can not only effectively suppress the Yb-ASE, increase the output power, and improve the pump conversion efficiency, but can also greatly shorten the optimal gain fiber length. Cascade co-pumping is a promising way to improve the performance of high-power EYDFLs.