Recent advances in soft optical glass fiber and fiber lasers

Publication date: Available online 26 November 2018Source: Progress in Materials ScienceAuthor(s): W.C. Wang, B. Zhou, S.H. Xu, Z.M. Yang, Q.Y. ZhangAbstractHigh-power single-frequency fiber lasers with exceptional properties, such as mode-hop-free and narrower linewidths, lower noise, and compact all-fiber designs, have been attractive in many applications, including high-resolution sensing, coherent telecommunications, optical frequency domain reflectometry, and as a seed laser for light detection and ranging (LIDAR). However, the development of high-power single-frequency fiber lasers is constrained greatly by the lack of high-gain optical fiber and components. In this review, we discuss the basic considerations of advanced techniques for soft glass fiber and fiber preform as well as three key issues among them. Then, the recent advances in RE-doped soft glass and fiber lasers operating at near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths are evaluated in detail. Finally, prospects, applications and challenges for the realization of high-efficiency soft optical fibers in single-frequency fiber laser applications are analyzed and discussed. The review is organized as follows: Sections 1–3 introduce the basic requirements for the rare-earth (RE) ions and host matrix material for obtaining efficient NIR-MIR laser output, a review of the background of processing fundamentals on the fabrication and characterization for newly developed soft optical glass fibers, an outlin...
Source: Progress in Materials Science - Category: Materials Science Source Type: research