Generation and amplification of a LG01 laser with a thermally-guiding fiber-rod
Generation and amplification of a LG01 laser with a thermally-guiding fiber-rod
Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes have properties that make them well suited to many applications, particularly laser processing when scaled to high-power. Here we present an approach for generating high-purity LG01 vortex beams in a Nd:YVO4 laser which overcomes the common problems of degenerate handedness and low damage thresholds in previous methods. The obtained modes are scaled in power by application of a novel Thermally-Guiding Fiber-Rod Amplifier (TGFRA).
Our approach is based on a novel end-pumping arrangement for efficiently generating the Hermite-Gaussian TEM01 mode in a 1064 nm Nd:YVO4 laser. A fiber-coupled laser diode was spliced to a 50:50 fiber splitter to give two equal outputs. These outputs were bonded to a bulk optic with a small separation for spatially matching the TEM01 mode. An astigmatic mode converter made using two concave mirrors was used to obtain a LG01 mode with controlled handedness.
The obtained LG01 mode was propagated through the 300 µm core of a 10 cm long sample of triple-clad Yb-doped silica fiber by utilizing thermal lensing as a waveguiding mechanism. The fiber was pumped using a high-power 915 nm diode laser. This amplifier geometry ensures preservation of the mode while the inheriting good thermal management from a fiber geometry and the large mode area common in rod geometries.
The 0.89 W LG01 seed-source was amplified with gain of 2.7 dB. The gain was limited by available pump power and the emission cross-section at 1064 nm. This result provides an avenue to high-power LG01 modes.
laguerre-gaussian mode, Fiber lasers and amplifiers, OPTICS, Lasers, Solid-State, Yb-doped fiber amplifiers, solid-state laser
Jefferson-Brain, T.L.
8bce2a02-37a4-4277-a8cb-0c40bde57837
Liu, Q.
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Shardlow, P.C.
9ca17301-8ae7-4307-8bb9-371df461520c
Clarkson, W.A.
3b060f63-a303-4fa5-ad50-95f166df1ba2
6 February 2019
Jefferson-Brain, T.L.
8bce2a02-37a4-4277-a8cb-0c40bde57837
Liu, Q.
b943b987-bf67-4576-8904-f1752a3ad8a0
Shardlow, P.C.
9ca17301-8ae7-4307-8bb9-371df461520c
Clarkson, W.A.
3b060f63-a303-4fa5-ad50-95f166df1ba2
Jefferson-Brain, T.L., Liu, Q., Shardlow, P.C. and Clarkson, W.A.
(2019)
Generation and amplification of a LG01 laser with a thermally-guiding fiber-rod.
In Solid State Lasers XXVIII: Technology and Devices.
SPIE..
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes have properties that make them well suited to many applications, particularly laser processing when scaled to high-power. Here we present an approach for generating high-purity LG01 vortex beams in a Nd:YVO4 laser which overcomes the common problems of degenerate handedness and low damage thresholds in previous methods. The obtained modes are scaled in power by application of a novel Thermally-Guiding Fiber-Rod Amplifier (TGFRA).
Our approach is based on a novel end-pumping arrangement for efficiently generating the Hermite-Gaussian TEM01 mode in a 1064 nm Nd:YVO4 laser. A fiber-coupled laser diode was spliced to a 50:50 fiber splitter to give two equal outputs. These outputs were bonded to a bulk optic with a small separation for spatially matching the TEM01 mode. An astigmatic mode converter made using two concave mirrors was used to obtain a LG01 mode with controlled handedness.
The obtained LG01 mode was propagated through the 300 µm core of a 10 cm long sample of triple-clad Yb-doped silica fiber by utilizing thermal lensing as a waveguiding mechanism. The fiber was pumped using a high-power 915 nm diode laser. This amplifier geometry ensures preservation of the mode while the inheriting good thermal management from a fiber geometry and the large mode area common in rod geometries.
The 0.89 W LG01 seed-source was amplified with gain of 2.7 dB. The gain was limited by available pump power and the emission cross-section at 1064 nm. This result provides an avenue to high-power LG01 modes.
Text
Generation and amplification of a LG01 laser with a thermally-guiding fiber-rod
- Author's Original
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 1 October 2018
Published date: 6 February 2019
Keywords:
laguerre-gaussian mode, Fiber lasers and amplifiers, OPTICS, Lasers, Solid-State, Yb-doped fiber amplifiers, solid-state laser
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 428949
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/428949
PURE UUID: e023ddc0-2450-4ab2-b993-60eeefae0610
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Date deposited: 15 Mar 2019 17:30
Last modified: 13 Dec 2021 03:19
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Contributors
Author:
T.L. Jefferson-Brain
Author:
Q. Liu
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