Thulium-Doped Fiber Lasers: Providing Eye-Safer High Power Output

摘要

Thulium-doped fiber lasers are beginning to demonstrate their potential for high power operation, and for many applications are emerging as the preferred technology. An overview of the technology is presented. With output powers now at the kW level, Tm-doped fiber lasers are beginning to emerge as the latest revolution in high-power fiber laser technology. Operating at 1.9-2.1 μm, this technology falls into the 'eye-safer' category of lasers giving it potential advantages over 1 μm lasers for industrial and military directed energy applications. The greater potential for pulse scaling is also beginning to be realized with peak powers now approaching 100 kW without requiring excessively complicated fiber designs or sacrificing beam quality.