• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.182-187
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• 2013

We present a comparative experimental analysis of the thermal spectroscopic characteristics of a phosphosilicate (P)-based ytterbium-doped fiber (YDF) against an aluminosilicate (Al)-based YDF in the temperature range of 25 to $150^{\circ}C$. We also characterize the fibers as gain media in a cladding-pumped amplifier configuration. While both fibers exhibit comparable trends in their thermal characteristics, there are noticeable distinctions in the fluorescence lifetime reduction rate and the spectral dependence of the transition cross-sections. The P- and Al-based YDFs present thermal lifetime reduction rates of $0.012%/^{\circ}C$ and $0.026%/^{\circ}C$, respectively. In particular, in the spectral region at ~940 nm, the absorption cross-section of the P-based YDF undergoes significantly less thermal change compared to that of the Al-YDF. In the cladding-pumped amplifier configuration operating at a total gain of 10 dB, the Al-based YDF generally performs betters than the P-based YDF in the temperature range of 25 to $75^{\circ}C$. However, it is highlighted that in the high temperature range of over $75^{\circ}C$, the latter shows a less gain reduction rate than the former, thereby yielding higher relative output power by 3.3% for a 1060-nm signal, for example.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.209-214
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• 2021

High-power continuous-wave operation of a Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser at 1018 nm, pumped by high-power diode lasers at 976 nm, is reported. Based on numerical calculation of the gain and laser signal power along the length of the Yb fiber, it is found that robust operation at 1018 nm can be achieved for a high Yb³⁺-ion excitation density greater than 11.5%, accompanied by high suppression of the feedback from the fiber's end facet. The Yb fiber laser constructed in house yields 626 W of continuous-wave output at 1018 nm for 729 W of incident pump power, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 86.6%. The prospect for power scaling is considered.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.716-721
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• 2016

A single-and dual-wavelength switchable polarized Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser around 1120 nm based on a pair of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is demonstrated. The polarization-maintaining (PM) linear cavity is composed of a double clad PM Yb-doped fiber (YDF) and a pair of PM FBGs. The laser can operate in stable dual-wavelength or wavelength-switching modes due to the polarization hole burning (PHB) and the spatial hole burning (SHB) enhanced by the PM linear cavity. In dual-wavelength operation, the two orthogonally polarized wavelengths are centered at 1118.912 nm and 1119.152 nm, with an interval of 0.24 nm and a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 35 dB. The maximum output power is 14.67 W when the launched LD pump is 24 W corresponding to an optical efficiency of 61.1%. The lasing lines switchover may be realized by adjusting the polarization controller (PC) fitted in the cavity. The two single-wavelengths are 1118.912 nm and 1119.152 nm. When the injected LD pump is 24 W, the highest output powers are 7.68 W and 8.64 W corresponding to optical efficiencies of 32% and 36% respectively. The spectral linewidth of the lasing lines are 0.075 nm and 0.07 nm, and the average numerical values of PER aredB and 19.9 dB, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.223-230
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• 2020

In this paper, we have studied the characteristics of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and mode instability (MI) in a ytterbium-doped polarization-maintaining fiber laser with master oscillator power amplifier configuration. We measured the laser output power and back-reflection spectrum for a variety of ytterbium-doped fibers and seed lights, to investigate the power-scaling limits of fiber lasers. By optimizing the laser structure, we demonstrated an all-fiber high-power polarization-maintaining fiber laser with near-diffraction-limited beam quality. The output power of 1.5 kW was achieved with a linewidth of 10 GHz, generated by pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) phase modulation. The beam quality M² was about 1.15 at the maximum output power. The polarization extinction ratio (PER) was greater than 17 dB.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.167-173
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• 2019

In this paper, we studied characteristics of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) suppression in high-power fiber lasers by using apparatuses applying a temperature gradient (i.e. a step, a sine shape, and random temperature distribution) along the fiber. From the ytterbium-doped polarization-maintaining fiber master oscillator power amplifier built in house, we measured the back-reflection spectrum and power for each temperature gradient, showing that the step shape temperature distribution was the most effective way to suppress SBS. In addition, we investigated the interaction of pseudo-random binary sequence phase modulation conditions and temperature gradients for SBS suppression.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2016

Over the past two decades, fiber-based lasers have made remarkable progress, now having reached power levels exceeding kilowatts and drawing a huge amount of attention from academy and industry as a replacement technology for bulk lasers. In this paper we review the significant factors that have led to the progress of fiber lasers, such as gain-fiber regimes based on ytterbium-doped silica, optical pumping schemes through the combination of laser diodes and double-clad fiber geometries, and tandem schemes for minimizing quantum defects. Furthermore, we discuss various power-limitation issues that are expected to incur with respect to the ultimate power scaling of fiber lasers, such as efficiency degradation, thermal hazard, and system-instability growth in fiber lasers, and various relevant methods to alleviate the aforementioned issues. This discussion includes fiber nonlinear effects, fiber damage, and modal-instability issues, which become more significant as the power level is scaled up. In addition, we also review beam-combining techniques, which are currently receiving a lot of attention as an alternative solution to the power-scaling limitation of high-power fiber lasers. In particular, we focus more on the discussion of the schematics of a spectral beam-combining system and their individual requirements. Finally, we discuss prospects for the future development of fiber laser technologies, for them to leap forward from where they are now, and to continue to advance in terms of their power scalability.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.218-222
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• 2020

In this paper, we have experimentally demonstrated a 2-kW-class spectrally-beam-combined laser with high beam quality, using narrow-linewidth ytterbium-doped polarization-maintaining fiber amplifiers. Five fiber amplifiers with different center wavelengths were implemented for the spectrally-beam-combined laser. The center wavelengths of the five amplifiers were 1062, 1063, 1064, 1065, and 1066 nm, respectively. A phase-modulated laser diode was used as a seed source for each amplifier. The seed sources were modulated by filtered pseudorandom-bit-sequence (PRBS) signals 5 GHz in linewidth. The polarization-maintaining large-mode-area fiber with a core size of 30 ㎛ was used as a delivery fiber to mitigate the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) effect. The laser beams from five amplifiers were spectrally combined by a multilayer dielectric diffraction grating. The maximum output power and beam quality M² of the combined laser were measured to be 2.3 kW and 1.74, respectively.