Title :
High Power Fiber Lasers: A Review
Author :
Zervas, M.N. ; Codemard, C.A.
Author_Institution :
Optoelectron. Res. Center, Univ. of Southampton, Southampton, UK
Abstract :
In this paper, we summarize the fundamental properties and review the latest developments in high power fiber lasers. The review is focused primarily on the most common fiber laser configurations and the associated cladding pumping issues. Special attention is placed on pump combination techniques and the parameters that affect the brightness enhancement observed in single-mode and multimode high power fiber lasers. The review includes the major limitations imposed by fiber nonlinearities and other parasitic effects, such as optical damage, transverse modal instabilities and photodarkening. Finally, the paper summarizes the power evolution in continuous-wave and pulsed ytterbium-doped fiber lasers and their impact on industrial applications.
Keywords :
brightness; fibre lasers; laser beam applications; laser modes; laser stability; nonlinear optics; optical fibre cladding; optical pumping; photochromism; reviews; ytterbium; brightness enhancement; cladding pumping; continuous-wave ytterbium-doped fiber lasers; fiber nonlinearity; fundamental properties; industrial applications; multimode high power fiber lasers; optical damage; parasitic effects; photodarkening; pulsed ytterbium-doped fiber lasers; review; single-mode high power fiber lasers; transverse modal instability; Absorption; Brightness; Fiber lasers; Laser excitation; Optical fiber amplifiers; Optical fiber couplers; Pump lasers; Beam quality; brightness; cladding-pumping; fiber amplifiers; fiber lasers; high power; holmium-doped; industrial lasers; material processing; modal instabilities; optical damage; optical fiber nonlinearities; optical fibers; optical pulses; photodarkening; pump combiners; thulium-doped; transverse mode instabilities; ytterbium-doped;
Journal_Title :
Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JSTQE.2014.2321279
