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2 micron fiber lasers: power scaling concepts and limitations
| Title: | 2 micron fiber lasers: power scaling concepts and limitations. |
 86 views 63 downloads |
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| Name(s): |
Sincore, Alex, Author Richardson, Martin, Committee Chair Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, Committee Member Schulzgen, Axel, Committee Member Shah, Lawrence, Committee Member University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Date Issued: | 2018 | |
| Publisher: | University of Central Florida | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Abstract/Description: | Thulium- and holmium-doped fiber lasers (TDF and HDF) emitting at 2 micron offer unique benefits and applications compared to common ytterbium-doped 1 micron lasers. This dissertation details the concepts, limitations, design, and performance of four 2 micron fiber laser systems. While these lasers were developed for various end-uses, they also provide further insight into two major power scaling limitations. The first limitation is optical nonlinearities: specifically stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and modulation instability (MI). The second limitation is thermal failure due to inefficient pump conversion. First, a 21.5 W single-frequency, single-mode laser with adjustable output from continuous-wave to nanosecond pulses is developed. Measuring the SBS threshold versus pulse duration enables the Brillouin gain coefficient and gain bandwidth to be determined at 2 micron. Second, a 23 W spectrally-broadband, nanosecond pulsed laser is constructed for materials processing applications. The temporally incoherent multi-kW peak power pulses can also efficiently produce MI and supercontinuum generation by adjusting the input spectral linewidth. Third, the measured performance of in-band pumped TDF and HDF lasers are compared with simulations. HDF displays low efficiencies, which is explained by including ion clustering in the simulations. The TDF operates with impressive (>)90% slope efficiencies. Based on this result, a system design for (>)1 kW average power TDF amplifier is described. The designed final amplifier will be in-band pumped to enable high efficiency and low thermal load. The amplifier efficiency, operating bandwidth, thermal load, and nonlinear limits are modeled and analyzed to provide a framework for execution. Overall, this dissertation provides further insight and understanding on the various processes that limit power scaling of 2 micron fiber lasers. | |
| Identifier: | CFE0007374 (IID), ucf:52105 (fedora) | |
| Note(s): |
2018-12-01 Ph.D. Optics and Photonics, Optics and Photonics Doctoral This record was generated from author submitted information. |
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| Subject(s): | Lasers -- fiber lasers -- high power lasers -- optical fiber -- thulium -- holmium -- optical nonlinearities -- infrared lasers | |
| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007374 | |
| Restrictions on Access: | campus 2023-12-15 | |
| Host Institution: | UCF |
