Materials and technologies for microstructured high power laser fibers

Abstract

In the last years rare earth doped double-clad fibers have been developed to high-power laser sources. Important progress was possible by increasing numerical aperture of the pump cladding and decreasing numerical aperture of the laser core. The high NA of the pump cladding enables the acceptance of large pump intensities whereas the low NA of the laser core makes possible to increase the core diameter and to decrease the laser power density retaining high beam quality. Here, actual challanges are discussed and possibilities are demonstrated to use microstructures for improved fiber designs which are realized by stacking and drawing of capillaries and rods. The rare earth doped parts are prepared by modified chemical vapor deposition and solution doping, but other routes of powder technology are also studied. Concerning the currently most important laser and amplifier types -Yb doped at 1.1 : m wavelength and Er/Yb doped at 1.55 : m wavelength -, the question of a high pump aperture is similar, but the limitations concerning a low core aperture are fairly different, because an efficient Er/Yb laser demands high phosphorus co-doping which naturally increases the core NA. The applied microstructures comprise "holey" fiber cross sections in form of "air clads" for the pump light and multiple hole ring structures for laser core and inner cladding. Moreover, microstructured cores made from solid parts yield new possibilities and parameters to compensate the high refractive index of the active material and to optimize the large mode area design. key words: fiber laser, rare-earth doping, microstructured fiber

An Optimized Vapor Phase Doping Process to Fabricate Large Core Yb-Doped Fibers

“…However, it suffers from poor repeatability and variation in dopants concentration [19], especially when higher concentrations are desired. Moreover, it is difficult to control RI precisely and also reached the limit regarding large core (LC) size [20] which is essential for laser fibers. On this technological backdrop, vapor phase doping technique based on high temperature sublimation of RE chelate compounds [11] is gaining much importance.…”

The REPUSIL process and the capability of fluorine doping for the adjustment of optical and thermochemical properties in silica materials

“…This is caused by the chemical equilibria between the fluorination agent SiF 4 and Alumina as well as rare earths. These equilibria are temperature influenced and favor the formation of volatile fluorides at higher temperatures [7]. …”

Vapor Phase Doping of Rare-Earth in Optical Fibers for High Power Laser

“…However, it suffers from poor repeatability and reached its limit regarding increase of core diameter [7] which is essential for high power fiber laser.…”