Fiber lasers are new and challenging trend in laser physics. Such lasers already successfully compete in price with conventional solid-state lasers. In fact, fiber lasers operating in the IR range with output powers up to 100 W have a number of advantages over their analogs built on the base of bulk components.
The advantages originate from the benefits of the all-fiber scheme, see Fig. 1. All-fiber lasers can be easily realized using fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) as couplers, because FBG is a specially treated part of the fiber. Different parts of the laser are joined together in a single reliable construction by electrical fusion splicing. All-fiber laser is compact, robust, and does not need any special maintenance. Such lasers are ideally suited for the field conditions.
Fig.1 Scheme of a simple fiber laser:
- 1 – fiber coupled Laser Diode pump,
- 2 – splice points,
- 3 – couplers (FBGs), 4 – active fiber,
- 5 – output end of the fiber laser.
Laser action usually is very efficient because active fiber length (1-100 m) can provide a significant gain. The efficiency of electrical-to-optical power conversion normally comes to tens percent.
Single-mode propagation of radiation is easily realized in an optical fiber being a waveguide. Fiber lasers are often called as diode lasers' brightness converters.
As a rule, no cooling system is required, because a thin active fiber effectively dissipates heat. Consequently, a fiber laser is simple and compact; it has low electrical power consumption.
Lifetime of the laser running under technical requirements compliance is limited by the lifetime of pump diode lasers only (typically 104-105 hours).
Now, let us summarize the main features making a fiber laser attractive for applications:
- Highly efficient,
- Compact,
- Robust,
- High output beam quality,
- Ideal for field conditions.
ZILTA Company offers you a line of fiber lasers matching all these requirements!
ZILTA Company presents to you attention a series of powerful single-mode fiber lasers. The products development is based on our own innovations. That is why we can offer unique devices with the best price-quality merit.
For example, we produce mostly extensively used Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFLs) operating in the 1050-1100 nm spectral range. These lasers are known by their highest output power and efficiency as compared to other types of fiber lasers. YDFLs are widely used in industry, medicine, scientific activity and many other fields. YDFLs operating at the 1064 nm wavelength successfully substitute conventional solid-state Nd:YAG lasers.
 Output power |
 Spectral line shape |
Fig.2 ZILTA YDFL, typical parameters.
We developed also diode-pumped fiber lasers operating in the 1100-1150 nm range to achieve a better compliance with a specific custom goal. Further spectral extension of the operation range of the fiber lasers is easily achieved with a help of Raman converters (Fig. 3). This is a special type of fiber lasers in which the stimulated Raman scattering is responsible for the laser action. For instance, one-stage Raman converter allows to shift the spectral position of the previously mentioned fiber lasers emission up to 1200 nm wavelength. Multistage Raman converters (available by a special request) allow to achieve even greater spectral shift.
Fig.3 Example of a fiber Raman converter:
- 1 – fiber coupled LD,
- 2 – splice points,
- 3 – couplers of the fiber laser (FBGs),
- 4 – active fiber,
- 5 – couplers of the Raman converter (FBGs),
- 6 - fiber used for the Raman conversion,
- 7 - output end of the converter.
Our new trend is the development of Ho-doped fiber lasers (HDFLs) operating at 2050-2150 nm wavelengths. Today HDFLs are poorly presented on the market. In the same time, HDFLs are important in medical applications; the spectral position of their emission perfectly matches an atmospheric transparence window, so such lasers can be used in space monitoring.
Our innovation activity allows us to construct an all-fiber pulsed laser producing strong pulses of a kilowatt level peak-power and a high energy (Fig. 4). Such lasers can find a large number of applications (industry, medicine, scientific activity and so on). Mostly important ones are micromachining (marking, engraving, drilling) and space monitoring.
Fig.4 Pulsed fiber lasers – ordered pulse shape(above) and the pulse train.
ZILTA accepts any request concerning research and development (R&D) of laser/amplifier systems operating in the near infra-red spectral range (1050-2200 nm).
We practice an individual approach to all our clients. Please send request.
Any requests concerning R&D of laser / amplifier systems for the spectral range of 1050-2200 nm are considered.
Please give Free Consulting from Dr. Vladislav Dvoyrin: vd[eta]lasertechn.com
