Path to doubling the efficiency of mid-IR erbium lasers.

ABSTRACT

It has been experimentally shown that a CrZnSe optical amplifier can be successfully used for self-amplification of the cascade ErY2O3 laser. This is to our best knowledge the first demonstration of an optical amplifier where both signal and pump are delivered from a single laser source. Absorption and emission spectra of the CrZnSe are perfectly positioned to amplify the output of the cascade ErY2O3 laser, when the 1.6 µm emission of the cascade laser serves as a pump, while 2.7 µm as a signal. We have also shown that this concept is valid for any bulk or fiber cascade erbium laser.