RESUMO
This Letter, to the best of our knowledge, reports mid-infrared fiber lasing beyond 5 µm at room temperature for the first time, Ce3+-doped, chalcogenide glass, step index fiber employed in-band pumping with a 4.15 µm quantum cascade laser. The lasing fiber is was 64 mm long, with a calculated numerical aperture of 0.48 at the lasing wavelengths. The core glass was Ge15As21Ga1Se63 atomic % (at. %), doped with 500 parts-per-million-by-weight Ce, with a 9 µm core diameter. The cladding glass was Ge21Sb10Se69 at. % with a 190 µm outer diameter. As pump power increases continuous wave lasing corresponding to the 2F7/2â2F5/2, transition in the Ce3+ ion occurs at 5.14 µm, 5.17 µm, and 5.28 µm.
RESUMO
M-type fibers have the exceptional property that the higher-order LP0n modes are core-confined and easily excited, while the LP01 and other modes are confined to a high-index ring surrounding the core, so they are not easily excited. This has profound consequences for mid-infrared supercontinuum sources, where the high zero-dispersion wavelength of chalcogenide and ZBLAN fibers means that exotic pump sources have so far been necessary. We show here that in chalcogenide and ZBLAN M-type fibers the lower ZDW of the core-confined higher-order LP02 mode can be in the range of 2 to 3 µm (around 1.55 µm), while the fiber still has a large core diameter and thus supports high average power. This will allow established pump laser technology to be used in future high-power mid-infrared supercontinuum sources.
RESUMO
We propose a model for resonantly pumped Pr3+-doped chalcogenide fiber amplifiers, which includes excited state absorption and the full spectral amplified spontaneous emission spanning from 2 µm to 6 µm. Based on this model, the observed near- and mid-infrared photoluminescence generated from Pr3+-doped chalcogenide fiber is explained. Then the output properties of a 4.1 µm resonantly pumped Pr3+-doped chalcogenide fiber amplifier are simulated in both co- and counter-pumping schemes. Results show that the 4.1 µm counter-pumped fiber amplifier can achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 62.8% for signal wavelengths ranging from 4.5 µm to 5.3 µm. This is, to our best knowledge, the highest simulated PCE for a Pr3+-doped chalcogenide fiber amplifier.
RESUMO
We study the mechanism of the population inversion in mid-infrared fibre lasers based on a chalcogenide glass host doped with active lanthanide ions. Three lanthanide dopant ions are considered: terbium, dysprosium and praseodymium. We predict the relevant trivalent ion level populations and gain. The simulation parameters were obtained by fabricating and optically characterising a series of trivalent ion doped chalcogenide glass samples. We also provide simple analytical expressions that aid the design of the cascade lasing process.
RESUMO
The photoluminescent-(PL)-properties of Pr³âº-ions in indium-containing selenide-chalcogenide bulk-glasses are found to be superior when compared with gallium-containing analogues. We observe circa doubling of mid-infrared (MIR) PL intensity from 3.5 to 6 µm for bulk glasses, pumped at 1.55 µm wavelength, and an increased excited state lifetime at 4.7 µm. PL is reported in optically-clad fiber. Ga addition is well known to enhance RE³âº solubility and PL behavior, and is believed to form ([RE³âº]-Se-[Ga(III)]) in the glasses. Indium has the same outer electronic-structure as gallium for solvating the RE-ions. Moreover, indium is heavier and promotes lower phonon energy locally around the RE-ion, thereby enhancing the RE-ion PL behavior, as observed here.
