Low noise spliceless single-frequency chirally-coupled-core all-fiber amplifier

authored by: Sven Hochheim, Eike Brockmüller, Peter Wessels, Joona Koponen, Tyson Lowder, Steffen Novotny, Jörg Neumann, Dietmar Kracht
Abstract: Specialty fibers such as chirally-coupled-core fibers (3C®-fiber) show a high potential for further power scaling of single-frequency fiber amplifiers. Especially, the application of gravitational wave detectors requires a high optical output power at low noise characteristics. The output power of fiber-based single-frequency amplifiers is typically limited by nonlinear effects (e.g. stimulated Brillouin scattering). In general, to reduce the impact of nonlinearities, the mode area of the fiber core is enlarged and 3C®-fibers have been specifically designed to enable single-mode operation with a large mode area core. This fiber type consists of a step-index fiber structure, whose signal core is additionally chirally surrounded by one or more satellite cores. Because of the phase matching and the helical geometry, the higher order modes are pulled out of the signal core, which allows a high-purity modal content in the core. The development of compact all-fiber lasers in conjunction with specialty fibers combines the advantages of both techniques. For the first time, we demonstrate a spliceless all-fiber amplifier, where all optical components are directly integrated in a single Yb3+-doped 3C®-fiber. Such a spliceless laser design allows a compact and robust architecture using specialty fibers, while maintaining excellent beam properties. At an output power of 336 W, a fundamental mode content of 90.4% was demonstrated. This work emphasizes the suitability of 3C®-fibers in high-power laser and amplifier systems and the potential as laser sources for the next generation of gravitational wave detectors.
External Organisation(s): Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH)
nLIGHT
Type: Conference contribution
Publication date: 05.03.2021
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Condensed Matter Physics, Computer Science Applications, Applied Mathematics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2577441 (Access: Closed)

BibTeX

@inproceedings{f32ea52da9924914a2d3bfaed68d75d2,
title = "Low noise spliceless single-frequency chirally-coupled-core all-fiber amplifier",
abstract = "Specialty fibers such as chirally-coupled-core fibers (3C{\textregistered}-fiber) show a high potential for further power scaling of single-frequency fiber amplifiers. Especially, the application of gravitational wave detectors requires a high optical output power at low noise characteristics. The output power of fiber-based single-frequency amplifiers is typically limited by nonlinear effects (e.g. stimulated Brillouin scattering). In general, to reduce the impact of nonlinearities, the mode area of the fiber core is enlarged and 3C{\textregistered}-fibers have been specifically designed to enable single-mode operation with a large mode area core. This fiber type consists of a step-index fiber structure, whose signal core is additionally chirally surrounded by one or more satellite cores. Because of the phase matching and the helical geometry, the higher order modes are pulled out of the signal core, which allows a high-purity modal content in the core. The development of compact all-fiber lasers in conjunction with specialty fibers combines the advantages of both techniques. For the first time, we demonstrate a spliceless all-fiber amplifier, where all optical components are directly integrated in a single Yb3+-doped 3C{\textregistered}-fiber. Such a spliceless laser design allows a compact and robust architecture using specialty fibers, while maintaining excellent beam properties. At an output power of 336 W, a fundamental mode content of 90.4% was demonstrated. This work emphasizes the suitability of 3C{\textregistered}-fibers in high-power laser and amplifier systems and the potential as laser sources for the next generation of gravitational wave detectors.",
keywords = "Chirally-coupled-core fiber, Gravitational wave detectors, Novel fiber sources, Single-frequency",
author = "Sven Hochheim and Eike Brockm{\"u}ller and Peter Wessels and Joona Koponen and Tyson Lowder and Steffen Novotny and J{\"o}rg Neumann and Dietmar Kracht",
note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Prof. Willke of the Albert-Einstein-Institut Hannover for the successful and on-going cooperation in the field of single-frequency laser systems for GWDs. This research was partially funded by the Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Hanover, Germany). This work was partially funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy - EXC 2123 QuantumFrontiers 390837967.; Fiber Lasers XVIII: Technology and Systems 2021 ; Conference date: 06-03-2021 Through 11-03-2021",
year = "2021",
month = mar,
day = "5",
doi = "10.1117/12.2577441",
language = "English",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
publisher = "SPIE",
editor = "Zervas, {Michalis N.} and Cesar Jauregui-Misas",
booktitle = "Fiber Lasers XVIII",
address = "United States",
}