Self-Q-Switch and CW Operation of a Tunable Dual-Wavelength Er/Yb Double-Clad Fiber Laser

Baldemar Ibarra-Escamilla,Manuel Durán-Sánchez,Patricia Prieto-Cortés,Evgeny Kuzin,Ricardo Álvarez-Tamayo,Berenice Posada-Ramírez

doi:10.3390/app8020171

Abstract

In this paper, a double-clad Er/Yb fiber laser with self-Q-switched and continuous wave operation depending on the pump power range is experimentally demonstrated. The linear cavity is formed on one side by a pair of cascaded tunable fiber Bragg gratings used for the selection and tuning of the generated laser lines. On the opposite side, a fiber optical loop mirror with high birefringence fiber in the loop is used to adjust the intra-cavity losses to obtain dual-wavelength emission by temperature changes on the fiber loop. Continuous wave dual-wavelength laser operation is obtained for tunable separation of the generated laser lines in a range from 1 to 7 nm, maximum output power of 3.6Wwith a pump power of 10Wand laser wavelengths linewidth of ~0.2 nm. Self-Q-switched laser pulses are obtained with low pump power in a range from 322 to 890 mW. Q-switched pulses with minimum pulse duration of ~1.5 _s and maximum pulse energy of ~3.5 _J are obtained.

Highlights

Fiber lasers have been of increasing interest because of their reliability, low-cost and performance efficiency
We report a high-efficiency dual-wavelength laser emission of a linear cavity EYDCF
In order to avoid possible damages in fiber systems caused by high energy SQS pulses generated at low pump power when a Continuous wave (CW) laser source is required or otherwise to establish possible applications of the SQS laser source with a wide repetition rate, the existence of SQS pulses in double-clad-fiber-based lasers has to be studied establishing operation limits, the conditions which contribute to their generation and the mechanisms to suppress or increase their operation according with the laser application

Summary

Introduction

Fiber lasers have been of increasing interest because of their reliability, low-cost and performance efficiency. In the 1.55 μm wavelength range, fiber lasers have been extensively studied due to their advantages of relatively “eye safe” operation and good free-space and fiber guided transmission with low losses. These advantages make them attractive to develop high power fiber lasers for applications in industrial manufacturing, medical surgery, optical communications and light detection and ranging (LIDAR). EDF exhibits efficient laser emission with excellent beam quality in single-mode laser systems. The low single-mode pump power provided by laser diode sources with core-pumping techniques, limits the

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Discussion

Conclusion