Thirteen watt all-fiber mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in a single mode ZBLAN fiber pumped by a 2  μm MOPA system

Abstract

All-fiber-integrated mid-infrared (mid-IR) supercontinuum (SC) generation in a single mode ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF) fiber with 13 W average output power and a spectrum extending from ∼1.9 to 4.3 μm is reported, which we believe is the highest output power for mid-IR SC generation in ZBLAN fibers. The overall optical conversion efficiency from the 790 nm pump light of the last stage Tm-doped fiber (TDF) amplifier to the total SC output was 20%, and the SC power for wavelengths longer than 2.5 μm was 6.85 W with a power ratio of 52.69% with respect to the total SC power. The mid-IR SC generation in ZBLAN fiber was pumped by a 2 μm master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system, which is also very appropriate for high power 2-2.5 μm region SC generation. We also demonstrate high efficiency SC generation in the TDF amplifier with 62.1 W average power, 39.8% optical efficiency, and a spectrum extending from 1.9 to 2.7 μm.

Isolator-free unidirectional thulium-doped fiber laser

“…Recently, the potential of hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers 8 combined with thulium-doped fiber (TDF) amplifiers 9 for fiber optical telecommunication in the 1910-2020 nm band was reported. Furthermore, the 2-mm spectral range is also widely used to pump holmium-doped fibers 10 or to drive nonlinear processes in the mid-infrared region 11,12 . For most of these applications, a broadly tunable narrow linewidth laser source at 2 mm is required.…”

Broadband and top-flat mid-infrared supercontinuum generation with 3.52 W time-averaged power in a ZBLAN fiber directly pumped by a 2-µm mode-locked fiber laser and amplifier

“…When mid-IR spectral region is concerned, soft glass fibers, including tellurite [5,6], fluoride [1,[7][8][9][10][11][12] and chalcogenide [13,14] fibers can be adopted as nonlinear media. However, among all soft glass fibers, only heavy metal fluoride fibers, including fluorozirconate (ZBLAN) [15][16][17][18][19] and fluoroindate (InF 3 ) [20,21] are technologically mature to be used for multi Watt level SC generation. Because they exhibit a zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW) within the range of ~ 1.5-1.9 µm they can be effectively pumped in the anomalous dispersion region, which facilitates efficient continuum extension towards longer wavelengths.…”

“…The SC power for wavelengths longer than 2.5 µm was 3.52 W with a power ratio of 49.5% with respect to the total SC power. A year later, the group presented all-fiber integrated SC generation in a ZBLAN fiber with a spectrum extending from 1.9 to 4.3 µm [16]. The output average power was 13 W, of which 52.69% corresponded to wavelengths beyond 2.5 µm.…”

Mid-infrared Supercontinuum Generation to ∼4.7 μm in a ZBLAN Fiber Pumped by an Optical Parametric Generator

“…To achieve SC generation in the mid-IR spectral region (λ > 2 μm), soft glass fibers including tellurite [5], fluoride [6]- [8], and chalcogenide [9], [10] have been successfully used. Among the three fiber families, chalcogenide and fluoride fibers are more mature, and have been commercialized recently.…”