Thulium-doped fluorozirconate fiber laser pumped by a diode laser source
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsLeon Esterowitz, Roger E. Allen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A room temperature laser system for producing a CW laser emission at substially 2.3 microns is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the laser system comprises a laser diode source for producing a CW pump beam at a preselected wavelength; and a fiber laser doped with thulium activator ions sufficient to produce an output CW laser emission at a wavelength in the range of 2.2-2.5 microns when the fiber laser is pumped by the CW pump beam.
Claims33
A laser system comprising:
- a fiber laser having a laser fiber doped with a thulium activator ion concentration sufficient to produce an output CW laser emission at a wavelength in the range of 2.4-2.5 microns when said fiber laser is pumped by a CW pump beam, said laser fiber being selected from the group consisting of fluorozirconate fiber, fluorophosphate fiber and low-loss, water-free silica fiber;
- and
- diode means for emitting a CW pump beam at a wavelength that will be absorbed by the thulium activator ions in the .sup.3 H.sub.4 or higher energy level of the thulium in said fiber laser.
The laser system of claim 6 wherein:
- said GaAlAs laser diode source lases at a wavelength of substantially 786 nm.
The laser system of claim 8 wherein:
- said laser diode array is a GaAlAs laser diode array for developing said CW pump beam.
The laser system of claim 9 wherein:
- said GaAlAs laser diode array lases at a wavelength of substantially 786 nm.
The laser system of claim 21 further including:
- a resonant cavity formed with said thulium-doped laser fiber in said cavity and said first and second mirrors disposed at opposite ends of said laser fiber to define the limits of said cavity, said resonant cavity having losses of 3% or less.
A method for producing an output CW laser radiation at substantially 2.3 microns, said method comprising the steps of:
- producing a CW laser radiation in a fiber laser doped with thulium to lase at a wavelength of substantially 2.3 microns;
- and
- continuously pumping the fiber laser with a CW pump radiation to enable the fiber laser to produce the CW laser radiation at substantially 2.3 microns.
A laser system comprising:
- a fiber laser including a gain medium fiber doped with thulium to lase at a wavelength of approximately 2.3 microns, and resonant cavity means for forming a resonant cavity with said gain medium fiber in said resonant cavity, said resonant cavity means including an output coupler for outputting CW laser radiation at approximately 2.3 microns, said gain medium fiber being selected from the group consisting of fluorozirconate fiber, fluorophosphate fiber and low-loss, water-free silica fiber;
- and
- means for continuously providing CW pump radiation into said gain medium fiber.
A method for producing a CW laser radiation at substantially 2.3 microns, said method comprising the steps of:
- optically pumping Tm.sup.3+ lasant ions of a gain medium in a fiber laser with the CW pump radiation from a laser diode source;
- developing a laser radiation at substantially 2.3 microns from a laser transition of the optically pumped Tm.sup.3+ lasant ions;
- and
- producing an output CW laser radiation at substantially 2.3 microns.
A laser system comprising:
- a fiber laser having a laser fiber doped with a thulium activator ion concentration sufficient to produce an output CW laser emission at a wavelength in the range of 2.2-2.5 microns when said fiber laser is pumped by a CW pump beam;
- and
- means for emitting a CW pump beam at a wavelength that will be absorbed by the thulium activator ions in the .sup.3 H.sub.4 or higher energy level of the thulium in said fiber laser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.