Laser diode-pumped holmium-doped fluorozirconate glass fiber laserin the green (λ~544-549 nm): power conversion efficiency, pumpacceptance bandwidth, and excited-state kinetics

The green (544-549 nm) Ho-doped fluorozirconate (ZBLAN) glass fiber laser, pumped in the red (λ~6;15 nm) by a high-power (~30 mW) InGaAlP laser diode or a ring dye-laser, has been characterized with regard to power conversion efficiency, fiber core-diameter and length, cavity output coupling, and pump acceptance bandwidth. Fibers doped with ~1200 ppm (by weight) of Ho and having core diameters of 1.7, 3, and 11 μm, and lengths ranging from 12.5 to 86 cm, have been studied in Fabry-Perot resonators having output couplings ranging from 1.545 to 96%. For a 1.7-μm core-diameter fiber, 21 cm in length, the threshold-launched pump power for the diode-pumped fiber laser is 1.9 and 3.5 mW for cavity output couplings of 1.5% and 24%, respectively. These values are the lowest for any upconversion-pumped fiber laser reported to date. Also, the noise and threshold-pumping power properties of the diode-pumped fiber laser are superior to those for its dye-laser-pumped counterpart. The highest laser slope efficiency (>22% with respect to launched pump power) was measured for a 3-μm core-diameter fiber and a cavity output coupling of 24%. The spectral interval over which the launched threshold pump power for this laser is <10 mW is almost 20 nm (637-656 nm). Studies of the fiber laser waveform as a function of pump power reveal competition for population between the ⁵S² and ⁵F₄ states and among the Stark sublevels of the ⁵F₄ manifold. Also, measurements of the output power on individual laser lines of the ⁵F₄, ⁵S₂→ ⁵I₈ (ground) transitions of Ho³⁺:ZBLAN as a function of pump power demonstrate the existence of a loss mechanism at the fiber laser wavelength, presumably due to absorption from ground or the ⁵I_y, ⁶S₂ or ⁵F₄ excited states of the ion     

Gain measurement and upconversion analysis in Tm3+, Ho3+ co-doped alumino-zirco-fluoride glass

The small signal gain coefficients were measured in Tm³⁺,Ho³⁺ co-doped alumino-zirco-fluoride glass. A gain of 15%/cm at 2.05 μm was obtained for pump power density of 42 kW/cm². The temperature increase of the glass was found to be more than 150 K with this pump power, which was estimated from a comparison between fluorescence intensities of Tm^{3+ 3} F₄-³H₆ and Ho^{3+ 5} I₇-⁵I₈. An upconversion rate constant of 12.5×10^-17 cm³ sec^-1 from a coupled (Tm^{3+ 3}F₄, Ho^{3+ 5}I₇) level to a coupled (Tm^{3+ 3}H₅, Ho^{3+ 5}I₆) level was determined by fitting the experimentally obtained gain coefficients to the calculated one which takes into consideration any temperature increase     

Excitation spectra of the green Ho:fluorozirconate glass fiberlaser

Laser and fluorescence excitation spectra of the green Ho:ZBLAN glass fiber laser have been measured at room temperature by pumping 20-90-cm-long fibers in the 640-653-nm spectral region with a CW dye laser. Pronounced structure in the laser excitation spectrum appears to arise from Stark sublevels of the Ho³⁺⁵F₅ and ⁵I₈ states rather than excited state absorption. Because the overall gain profile is inhomogeneously broadened, the laser excitation spectrum width increases with pump power and is ~5.7-nm FWHM when the pump power is a factor of 2.3 above threshold. For a 22-cm fiber, the threshold pump power is 128±5 mW and, with 5% output coupling, more than 12 mW has been extracted in the green for 318 mW of 646.7 nm input power. The slope efficiency for this oscillator (accounting for the pump launch efficiency) exceeds 14%     

Cascaded Two-Wavelength Lasers and Their Effects on C-Band Amplification Performance for Er3+-Doped Fluoride Fiber

In this paper, we report cascaded two-wavelength 853-nm (⁴ S_3/2rarr⁴I_13/2 transition) and 1533-nm (⁴I_13/2rarr⁴I_15/2 transition) lasing from Er³⁺-doped fluoride fiber pumped at 974 nm. The cavity for cascaded two-wavelength lasing is composed of two fiber ends with 4% Fresnel reflection. Its optical-to-optical efficiency is up to 26.6%. Its effects on C-band fiber amplifiers and green upconversion fiber lasers are discussed. A new way to get high efficiency and low noise C-band amplifier is suggested, i.e., a fluoride-based Er³⁺-doped fiber amplifier including 853-nm lasing cavity. Our simulated results show that such a new amplifier can enhance the signal gain greatly and break the limit of the saturated gain intensity for a normal amplifier     

Fluorescence and superfluorescence line narrowing and tunability ofNd3+ doped fibers

The inhomogeneous behavior of the 1.06 μm-neodymium transitions in doped optical fibers have been investigated, using the fluorescence line narrowing technique, pumping on the ⁴F_3/2 and ⁴F_5/2 sublevels at 4 K. Each observed transition has been identified. As the pump wavelength varies, the shift of the main fluorescence line is 40 nm, with the two pumping levels. We have studied the spectral behavior of the superfluorescence as a function of the pump wavelength, the temperature, and the absorbed power. The spectral evolution depends on λ_p with 19 nm-tuning range at low temperature. At 300 K, the quasihomogeneous behavior of the transition decreases the tunability to 14 nm. Based on these results, we present a simple technique permitting precise prediction of gain and spectral line shapes of superfluorescent Nd-doped fiber sources     

Emission cross sections and spectroscopy of Ho3+ laserchannels in KGd(WO4)2 single crystal

The spectroscopic properties of Ho³⁺ laser channels in KGd(WO₄)₂ crystals have been investigated using optical absorption, photoluminescence, and lifetime measurements. The radiative lifetimes of Ho³⁺ have been calculated through a Judd-Ofelt (JO) formalism using 300-K optical absorption results. The JO parameters obtained were Ω₂=15.35×10^-20 cm², Ω ₄=3.79×10^-20 cm², Ω₆ =1.69×10^-20 cm². The 7-300-K lifetimes obtained in diluted (8·10¹⁸ cm^-3) KGW:0.1% Ho samples are: τ(⁵F₃)≈0.9 μs, τ( ⁵S₂)=19-3.6 μs, and τ(⁵F₅ )≈1.1 μs. For Ho concentrations below 1.5×10²⁰ cm^-3, multiphonon emission is the main source of non radiative losses, and the temperature independent multiphonon probability in KGW is found to follow the energy gap law τ_ph ^-1(0)=βexp(-αΔE), where β=1.4×10^-7 s^-1, and α=1.4×10³ cm. Above this holmium concentration, energy transfer between Ho impurities also contributes to the losses. The spectral distributions of the Ho³⁺ emission cross section σ_EM for several laser channels are calculated in σ- and π-polarized configurations. The peak a σ_EM values achieved for transitions to the ⁵I₈ level are ≈2×10^-20 cm² in the σ-polarized configuration, and three main lasing peaks at 2.02, 2.05, and 2.07 μm are envisaged inside the ⁵I₇→⁵I₈ channel     

Continuous-wave laser action in Er3+:YLF at 3.41 μm

Continuous-wave laser emission at 3.41 μm from an erbium-doped LiYF₄ crystal (Er³⁺:YLF) at 77 K is demonstrated. Operation of this four-level laser is based on the Er^{3+ 4}F_9/2-⁴I_9/2 transition. An output power of 12 mW and a slope efficiency of 2% have been achieved     

Spectral gain hole-burning at 1.53 μm in erbium-doped fiberamplifiers

Spectral gain hole-burning at λ₀=1.53 μm was observed in an erbium-doped fiber amplifier at temperatures between 4.2 and 77 K. The hole width was found to broaden with temperature for T ⩾20 K according to a T^1.73 law. From the data, the room-temperature homogeneous linewidth associated with the 1.531-μm transition in the ⁴I_13/2-⁴I_15/2 laser system was determined to be Δλ_h=11.5 nm for aluminosilicate fibers     

Pump-induced refractive index modulation and dispersions inEr3+-doped fibers

A novel measurement system provides determination of pump induced phase shifts in erbium doped fibers with an accuracy of ~π/20. Using this system, a systematical analysis of the pump induced modulation of the refractive index and dispersions for a signal at 1550 nm and a pump at 980 nm is reported. The analysis contains measurements of pump induced refractive index changes as function of wavelength, pump power, and doping concentration. A model taking account of the contribution to the refractive index changes from optical transitions between ⁴ I_15/2 states and ⁴I_13/2 states in Er³⁺ yields good agreement to experimental results apart from a wavelength independent offset. The offset is interpreted to originate from high energetic optical transitions. The results show that for a large refractive index modulation, a short and highly doped fiber should be used with limited amplified spontaneous emission effect. In optical communication systems comprising erbium doped fiber amplifiers, a tradeoff between dispersion and amplification must be made     

Evaluation of absorption and emission cross sections of Er-dopedLiNbO3 for application to integrated optic amplifiers

The polarization-dependent absorption and emission spectra of the ⁴I_13/2-⁴I_15/2 transition (λ~1.5 μm) in single crystal bulk Er:LiNbO₃ have been measured. Low-temperature (10 K) measurements of the Stark split energy levels of these two manifolds indicate at least two Er³⁺ sites. McCumber theory is applied to determine the Er:LiNbO₃ absorption and emission cross sections. These values are used to calculate the gain characteristics of Er:LiNbO₃ channel waveguides. Calculations indicate that a gain of 10 dB is achievable in a waveguide of several centimeters using ~20-mW pump power     

Tuning, temporal, and spectral characteristics of the green(λ~549 nm), holmium-doped fluorozirconate glass fiber laser

The output power, tuning and temporal behavior of the green (539-550 nm), Ho-doped fluorozirconate glass (ZBLAN) fiber laser pumped in the red (λ~643 nm) has been examined in detail. Fibers ranging in length from ~20-86 cm have been studied, and more than 38 mW of output power has been obtained from a 21 cm long fiber for 30% output coupling and 280 mW of absorbed pump power. By inserting two prisms into the optical cavity, the oscillator has been tuned over ~11 mn, and the emission spectrum of the free-running laser has been recorded as a function of pump power at both room temperature and 77 K. The self-pulsing (spiking)behavior of the laser and the influence of depletion of the Ho³⁺ ground state (⁵I₈) population on the emission spectrum and efficiency of this system are discussed     

High-gain mode-adapted semiconductor optical amplifier with12.4-dBm saturation output power at 1550 nm

A mode-adapted semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) has been fabricated and packaged. At the gain peak, 1500 nm, the fiber to fiber gain was measured to be 32.5 dB. Statistics for eight packaged devices indicate that a fiber-to-fiber gain of 26.3 dB ± 1.3 dB and a saturation output power of 12.4 dBm ± 0.4 dBm are typical at a bias of 500 mA for λ = 1550 nm. Polarization sensitivity at 1550 nm was measured to be 1.1 dB ± 0.4 dB and the transverse electric (TE) polarization state noise figure (NF) was determined to be 7.0 dB ± 0.5 dB. The coupling loss was 1.3 dB ± 0.1 dB per facet. This SOA, with a 1.3-nm filter, was used as an optical preamplifier in a 10-Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) system testbed with a pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) of 2³¹ -1. A 14.5-dB improvement in receiver sensitivity was observed at a bit error rate (BER) of 10^-11     

Photon avalanche in Er:ZBLAN fibre pumped at 690 nm

A new photon avalanche mechanism has been observed in Er:ZBLAN fibre when pumped at 700 nm; this pump scheme corresponds to the excited state absorptions from ⁴I_13/2 and ⁴I _11/2. Experimental results of pump power dependence and build-up process are reported     

Improved gain performance in Yb3+-sensitized Er3+-doped alumina (Al2O3) channel opticalwaveguide amplifiers

Small-signal amplification in short, Yb³⁺-sensitized, Er³⁺-doped alumina (Al₂O₃) channel optical waveguides with high Er³⁺ concentrations is analyzed. Taking into account uniform up conversion, excited state absorption (ESA) from the Er³⁺ metastable level (⁴I_13/2 ), and Yb³⁺→Er³⁺ energy transfer by cross relaxation, the obtainable gain improvements compared to Yb³⁺ -free Er³⁺-doped Al₂O₃ optical waveguides are investigated. The amplifier model is based on propagation and population rate equations and is solved numerically by combining finite elements and the Runge-Kutta algorithm. The analysis predicts that 5-cm long Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ co-doped Al₂O ₃ waveguides show 13-dB net signal gain for 100 mW pump power at λ_p=980 nm     

1.3-μm emission of Nd:LaF3 thin films grown bymolecular beam epitaxy

The 1.3-μm emission of Nd³⁺-doped LaF₃ thin films grown on LaF₃ and CaF₂ (111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. The waveguide behavior of the heteroepitaxial layers has been demonstrated and the refractive indexes measured. Guided spectra have been obtained from these layers using a prism-coupling technique. The 1.3-μm emission corresponding to the 4F _3/2→⁴I_3/2 transition has been characterized as a function of Nd³⁺ concentration and temperature. The relative efficiencies of different excitation bands were compared. The optimum concentration for Nd³⁺ dopant has been found to be about 1 at.%. A narrowing of the emission lines is observed in the homoepitaxial layers compared to the heteroepitaxial layers. The decay of the luminescence of the ⁴F_3/2 level measured at room temperature is similar for homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial layers     

Er:GSGG 晶体的光谱性质分析及激光特性模拟研究

测试和分析了Er:GSGG的吸收光谱和荧光光谱。应用Judd-Ofelt理论计算了Er3+的强度参数、自发辐射跃迁几率、能级寿命、荧光分支比和吸收截面。结果表明,Er3+在4I13/2和4I11/2能级有较长的能级寿命,在966nm和790nm处有较大的吸收截面,在2.79µm处有较大的积分发射截面值,数值模拟了在966nm泵浦下激光输出特性,在泵浦速率达到一定值时,有较高的量子效率。结果表明Er:GSGG有望成为2.79µm波段的理想激光晶体。     

Photon avalanche upconversion in Er3+:YAlO3

The results of an investigation of photon avalanche upconversion pumping in Er³⁺:TiAlO₃ are reported. Five pump wavelengths corresponding to transitions from the metastable ⁴I_13/2 state to the ²H_11/2 state generated upconversion laser emission at 549.8 nm. The dependence of the laser output power on pump power near laser threshold is discussed in terms of a four-level kinetics model and is shown to reflect the threshold power requirement for photon avalanche. The maximum output power at 7 K was 33 mW, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 3.5% and a conversion efficiency of 28% based on absorbed power. Pumping Er:YALO by cross relaxation energy transfer produced 166 mW of laser output with an optical conversion efficiency of 17%     

1.27μm atomic argon laser parameters in fission-fragment excitedHe/Ar and He/Ne/Ar gas mixtures

The authors examine the power efficiency of the fission-fragment-excited atomic argon laser operating on the 1.27-μm (3d'[3/2]₁-4'_p[3/2]₁) argon transition as a function of pump power, gas mixture, and pressure. The maximum measured power efficiency was 1.1±0.3% for a gas pressure of 1300 torr and a He/Ar ratio of 99.88/0.12. Neon addition to the He/Ar gas mixture increased both the energy deposited in the gas and the energy output without decreasing efficiency for a neon gas fraction of less than 0.5. Small-signal gain and saturation intensity are between 0.15-0.27%/cm and 25-200 W/cm² for pump rates of 7.5-30 W/cm ³ in He/Ar and He/Ne/Ar gas mixtures. The laser threshold as a function of total pressure and argon concentration is presented     

Analysis on the transient response of 1.55-μm/1.4-μmdual-wavelength pumped thulium-doped fiber amplifiers

The transient response of S- and S⁺-band thulium-doped fiber amplifiers with 1.4-μm/1.5-μm dual-wavelength pumping scheme was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. In contrast to conventional Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, two characteristic time-constants related with ³F₄ and ³H ₄ level lifetime were observed, implying the need of much complex transient control algorithm for the future applications. The amount of surviving channel gain, gain excursion, and related time constants showed changes in their response characteristics, depending on the combinations of main pump, subsidiary pump, and signal powers. A simplified numerical approach for the analysis of transient response in thulium-doped fiber amplifiers under average inversion framework, will be provided