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High-power fiber lasers: progress and opportunities

High-power fiber lasers: progress and opportunities
High-power fiber lasers: progress and opportunities
Cladding-pumped fiber lasers and amplifiers offer a number of unique properties. These enabled the very rapid power-scaling seen in the last few years. However, there are many additional advantages, that enable the power to be combined with exceptional control of the output characteristics. Such sources promise to make a drastic difference in a range of new applications. The figure shows the progress in reported output powers from single mode or nearly diffraction-limited fiber lasers at wavelengths around 1.1µm, which now exceeds 1 kW (see, e.g., [1]). Advances in high-power multimode diode and fiber technology, combined with the inherent power-scalability of cladding-pumped fibers, lie behind this rapid progress. Compared to the telecom technology and especially erbium-doped fiber amplifiers that these high-power fiber lasers have evolved from, the most important differences in the fiber design are the use of double-clad fibers, the much larger core and inner cladding sizes that allow for the launch of high-power, large, pump beams and increases the damage threshold, as well as the use of ytterbium-doping. The high efficiency of low-loss Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs) – over 80% is possible with high-quality, high-purity fabrication – means that even a 1 kW fiber laser generates no more than ~200 W of heat. This exceptionally low heat load simplifies heat-sinking. The overall efficiency is further enhanced by improvements in diode efficiency, which is currently at ~70%.
Nilsson, J.
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Jeong, Y.
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Soh, D.B.S.
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Codemard, C.A.
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Dupriez, P.
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Farrell, C.
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Sahu, J.K.
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Kim, J.
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Yoo, S.
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Payne, D.N.
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Nilsson, J.
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Jeong, Y.
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Soh, D.B.S.
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Codemard, C.A.
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Dupriez, P.
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Farrell, C.
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Sahu, J.K.
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Kim, J.
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Yoo, S.
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Payne, D.N.
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Nilsson, J., Jeong, Y., Soh, D.B.S., Codemard, C.A., Dupriez, P., Farrell, C., Sahu, J.K., Kim, J., Yoo, S. and Payne, D.N. (2005) High-power fiber lasers: progress and opportunities. LPHYS'05: 14th International Laser Physics Workshop, Kyoto, Japan. 04 - 08 Jul 2005. 1 pp .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Cladding-pumped fiber lasers and amplifiers offer a number of unique properties. These enabled the very rapid power-scaling seen in the last few years. However, there are many additional advantages, that enable the power to be combined with exceptional control of the output characteristics. Such sources promise to make a drastic difference in a range of new applications. The figure shows the progress in reported output powers from single mode or nearly diffraction-limited fiber lasers at wavelengths around 1.1µm, which now exceeds 1 kW (see, e.g., [1]). Advances in high-power multimode diode and fiber technology, combined with the inherent power-scalability of cladding-pumped fibers, lie behind this rapid progress. Compared to the telecom technology and especially erbium-doped fiber amplifiers that these high-power fiber lasers have evolved from, the most important differences in the fiber design are the use of double-clad fibers, the much larger core and inner cladding sizes that allow for the launch of high-power, large, pump beams and increases the damage threshold, as well as the use of ytterbium-doping. The high efficiency of low-loss Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs) – over 80% is possible with high-quality, high-purity fabrication – means that even a 1 kW fiber laser generates no more than ~200 W of heat. This exceptionally low heat load simplifies heat-sinking. The overall efficiency is further enhanced by improvements in diode efficiency, which is currently at ~70%.

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e-pub ahead of print date: 2005
Additional Information: Plenary Session (PS5)
Venue - Dates: LPHYS'05: 14th International Laser Physics Workshop, Kyoto, Japan, 2005-07-04 - 2005-07-08

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 38259
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/38259
PURE UUID: 14cf6210-a49e-44e6-9bb7-c8a61b45e9ca
ORCID for J. Nilsson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1691-7959
ORCID for J.K. Sahu: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3560-6152

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 07 Jun 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:20

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Contributors

Author: J. Nilsson ORCID iD
Author: Y. Jeong
Author: D.B.S. Soh
Author: C.A. Codemard
Author: P. Dupriez
Author: C. Farrell
Author: J.K. Sahu ORCID iD
Author: J. Kim
Author: S. Yoo
Author: D.N. Payne

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