A fused side-pumping optical fiber coupler based on twisting

Abstract

Pumping coupler technology is one of the critical technologies for high power laser and amplifier. Side-pumping technology can couple pumping beam into inner cladding of the double-clad fiber through the side of the fiber.Compared to the end-pumping technology by tapered fused bundle (TFB) , it has many superiorities. That the signal fiber was not disconnected guarantees high transmission efficiency, providing the possibility of transmitting a high power signal. Additionally, the pump light is coupled into the double-cladding fiber all along the coupler's body (~ 5-10 cm long), which reduces the thermal effects caused by leakage of pumping light, resulting in high pump power handling capabilities. For the realization of reliable, rugged and efficient high power fiber amplifiers and fiber laser systems, a novel kind of fused side-pumping coupler based on twisting is developed. The complete simulations were carried out for the process of side-pumping. From detailed information about simulations, we found that the the pump efficiencies, one of the vital parameters of pumping coupler, have a significant influence with coupling length, the numerical aperture (NA) and taper ratio of pump fiber. However, the diversification of the parameters drops the high transmission efficiency barely. Optimized the parameters in the simulations, the pump and signal coupling efficiencies are 97.3% and 99.4%, respectively. Based on theoretical analysis, the side-pumping coupler was demonstrated at the the pump and signal coupling efficiencies are 91.2% and 98.4%, respectively. This fiber coupler can be implemented in almost any fiber laser or amplifier architecture.