47 W continuous-wave 1726 nm thulium fiber laser core-pumped by an erbium fiber laser.

ABSTRACT

The high-power, short-wavelength operation of a thulium-doped silica fiber laser at 1726 nm has been demonstrated in a core-pumped monolithic (all-fiber) resonator configuration, in-band pumped by a high-power erbium-only fiber laser operating at 1580 nm. The thulium fiber laser yielded 47 W in a single-spatial-mode output beam for 60-W absorbed pump power. The corresponding slope efficiency, with respect to an absorbed pump power of 80%, compares favorably with the theoretical maximum (Stokes) efficiency of 91.5%. The prospects for further scaling of single-mode power in this wavelength regime to >100 W are considered, as well as the potential applications for high-power lasers operating in this difficult-to-reach wavelength band.