Highly rare-earth-doped optical fibers for fiber lasers and amplifiers

US8498046B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• IMRA America, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Liang Dong · Ann Arbor, US
• Martin E. Fermann · Dexter, US
• Hugh McKay · Ann Arbor, US
• Libin Fu · Ann Arbor, US
• Shigeru Suzuki · Otofuke, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 3, 2009
• Grant date: Jul 30, 2013
• Expiry date: Sep 8, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S2301/03
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Various embodiments described herein comprise a laser and/or an amplifier system including a doped gain fiber having ytterbium ions in a phosphosilicate glass. Various embodiments described herein increase pump absorption to at least about 1000 dB/m-9000 dB/m. The use of these gain fibers provide for increased peak-powers and/or pulse energies. The various embodiments of the doped gain fiber having ytterbium ions in a phosphosilicate glass exhibit reduced photo-darkening levels compared to photo-darkening levels obtainable with equivalent doping levels of an ytterbium doped silica fiber.