Powerful 2 μm Silica Fiber Sources: A Review of Recent Progress and Prospects

摘要

A review on the progress of powerful 2 μm silica fiber sources in past decades is presented. We review the state-of-the-art records and representative achievements of 2 μm high-average-power continuouswave, pulsed fiber lasers and amplifiers, and powerful superfluorescent sources. Challenges which limit the further power scaling of 2 μm silica fiber sources are discussed, including pumping brightness limitation, thermal problem, and nonlinear effects. Potential and promising roadmaps to go beyond these limitations, like tandem pumping and beam combining, are discussed. Prospects of powerful 2 μm silica fiber sources are also presented in the end of paper.