Photonic crystal fiber lasers have the potential to revolutionize rare-earth-doped fiber lasers in high-power operation.J. Limpert, A. Liem, T. Schreiber, F. Röser, H. Zellmer and A. Tünnermann, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Applied PhysicsThe first rare-earth-doped fiber lasers, which produced a few milliwatts at a wavelength of around 1 μm, were operated in the early 1960s. For the next several decades, fiber lasers were little more than a low-power laboratory curiosity. Recently, however, with the advent of reliable, high-brightness, diode-pumped lasers — and of double-clad fibers to facilitate coupling the pump light into the fiber — they are entering the realm of kilowatt powers with diffraction-limited beam quality (Figure 1). Figure 1. The diffraction-limited power available from fiber lasers has increased...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaArticlesNuclear Fusion Drives Laser DevelopmentIt is a rare event when a successful experiment in basic research makes it to the evening news. In December 2022, the U.S. secretary of energy announced a breakthrough in laser-based nuclear fusion....Photonics Spectra April 2023 IssueFiber Lasers Scale Up Output Powers and End MarketsHigh-power fiber lasers are a versatile and powerful tool for a wide range of industrial applications, from cutting and welding to defense and beyond. Advancements in laser head design, beam...Photonics Spectra June 2023 IssueLasers Shape a New Future for Additive Manufacturing of Metal PartsAerospace and automotive manufacturers initially adopted additive manufacturing (AM) methods as a means to rapidly prototype new parts or to fabricate more complex or consolidated components in a...Photonics Spectra January 2023 IssueChina’s Industrial Laser Market Shows Post-Pandemic RecoveryThe Chinese economy was on a roller coaster in 2022 but evened out at the end to grow its gross domestic product by 3%, which is very slow growth by China’s standard. The bright side, however,...Photonics Spectra June 2023 IssueProductsLaser SensorThe Coherent PM10K+ from Coherent is a laser power sensor for measuring the power output of CO2, fiber, diode, and continuous wave lasers. In less than three seconds, the calorimeter-based sensor is...Photonics Spectra August 2024 Issue3D Laser MarkerThe LP-ZV from Panasonic Industry is a 3D short pulse fiber laser marker designed for metal and resin marking applications. The laser marker uses a 1-ns short pulse that minimizes the thermal effect,...Photonics Spectra January 2024 IssueHigh Peak Fiber LaserThe 1550-nm high peak power fiber laser from Lumispot Tech runs a 1550-nm laser and can be used in remote sensing, laser ranging, security monitoring, and autonomous and assisted driving. Utilizing a...Vision-Spectra.com December 2023 IssueIndustrial Power MeterThe Ophir® Helios Pro from MKS Instruments is an industrial power meter for measuring high-power lasers, including diode, fiber, and Nd:YAG with power ranges from 100 W to 12 kW and wavelengths...Photonics.com 10/25/2024Photonics Handbook ArticlesDiode-Pumped Lasers: Performance, Reliability Enhance ApplicationsNeodymium-doped crystals and glasses such as Nd:YAG (neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet) have long been used as laser gain materials. Optically pumped, they produce an output wavelength close to 1...Photonics HandbookLaser Measurement Systems: Best PracticesGiven the pace at which technology advances, there always seems to be a learning curve. With the abundance of consumer electronics available, there typically is no right or wrong way to use these...Photonics HandbookFiber Lasers: Continuing to Power GrowthEarly fiber lasers were inefficient and limited to low powers, until more effective methods emerged to deliver the pump light into the cladding. Valentin Gapontsev, founder and CEO of IPG Photonics,...Photonics HandbookLasers: Understanding the BasicsOver 60 years have passed since the first demonstration of a laser in 1960. After the initial spark of interest, lasers were for a while categorized as “a solution waiting for a problem,”...Photonics HandbookWhite PapersFast Axis Collimator Lenses (FACs) - The Essential Components for Laser DiodesWe started developing FACs more than 15 years ago. The result is highly automated in-house processes which allow for competitive prices – even with high volumes. Diode lasers are efficient, compact,...Photonics.com 12/2/2022How to Improve Laser Diode LifetimeEverything you need to know about soldering, mounting, thermal management, drive current, environment, and more, regarding extending the lifetime of your laser diodes.Photonics.com 2/12/2024OptoFlash Spectrometer EngineMKS' Newport OptoFlash delivers up toe 10 discrete channels where pre-determined wavelength detection is essential to acquiring fast sample measurements.Photonics.com 1/8/2024QCW and CW Diode Pumped Solid State LaserOEM dpss laser from lumispot tech, in this file, we mentioned the datasheet of the cw and qcw diode pumped solid state lasers, including its features, working principle and applications.Photonics.com 3/14/2024WebinarsSimplifying Fluorescence Microscopy Using Next-Generation Laser TechnologyKonstantin Birngruber and Max Eisele introduce TOPTICA's next-generation laser technology by highlighting multicolor light engines for standard fluorescence microscopy, as well as TOPTICA's...Photonics.com 10/26/2021From Theory to Practice: Coherent Beam Combining's Impact on Laser TechnologyThis presentation shines a spotlight on the transformative laser technology known as coherent beam combining (CBC). While this technology has been known for decades, it only recently has been...Photonics.com 2/15/2024Dynamic Beam Lasers Are Opening New Applications for Materials ProcessingDynamic Beam Lasers (DBLs) are fiber lasers based on Coherent Beam Combining (CBC) whose operational properties offer a set of parameters that did not previously exist in lasers. DBLs open new...Photonics.com 11/9/2021Photonics Spectra Conference 2022: January 10 - 13Photonics Media will host its second annual Photonics Spectra Conference Jan. 10-13. The virtual event will comprise four technology tracks — Lasers, Optics, Sensors and Detectors, and Imaging...Photonics.com 1/10/2022Photonics Dictionary Termsdouble-clad fiberDouble-clad fiber (DCF) is a specialized optical fiber that features two concentric cladding layers surrounding a core. The design of double-clad fibers allows them to be used in various...Photonics Dictionaryfiber laserA fiber laser is a type of laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions such as erbium, ytterbium, or neodymium. Fiber lasers generate coherent light through...Photonics Dictionarylaser markingLaser marking is a process in which a laser beam is used to mark or engrave a surface by altering its properties or appearance. This technique is widely used for labeling, identification, and...Photonics Dictionaryerbium-doped fiber laserAn erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) is a type of laser that uses an optical fiber doped with erbium ions (Er³+) as the gain medium. These lasers are widely used in telecommunications, medical...Photonics DictionaryMediaLight Matters Extra: Optics & Photonics Technology Program, STCC - 09.2017In this month’s Light Matters Extra, we take you to the Springfield Technical Community College campus and introduce you to Professor Nick Massa, who has been teaching Optics and Photonics there for...Photonics.com 9/28/2017Merging Industry and Education Through Photonics - LIGHT MATTERS 09.2017Tune into this month’s edition of Light Matters for the complete list of Photonics Media’s Industry Beacon award winners. We’ll also introduce you to an Industry Beacon in the Educator category, and...Photonics.com 9/28/2017The New VirtualLab Fusion 2023 - An Overview - LightTrans International GmbHThe new VirtualLab Fusion 2023 thrills with a firework of new features. In this webinar we give an overview of the new features and put them into context with the development strategy and technical...Photonics.com 4/5/2023Boson Computing - LIGHT MATTERS 01.02.2013-Boson Computing -Flexible Solar Cells -Photonic Scalpel On this edition of Light Matters, a new computer model is based on bosons, flexible solar cells show great appeal, light turns to sound, then...Photonics.com 1/2/2013Photonics Buyers' Guide CategoriesFiber LasersA fiber laser is a type of laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions such as erbium, ytterbium, or neodymium. Fiber lasers generate coherent light through...Picosecond LasersOptical RadarsInfrared DetectorsAn infrared detector is a device that is used to detect and measure infrared radiation, which lies beyond the visible spectrum of light. These detectors are utilized in various applications,...CompaniesDK Photonics Technology LimitedDK Photonics is a leading manufacturer of innovative and high quality optical passive components. We provide complete and integrated solutions from 400~2100nm. DK Photonics produces a large array of...Photonics Buyers' GuideMicro Laser Systems Inc.We are a manufacturer of Diffraction Limited Fiber Coupled Laser Systems, Optical Systems, and Fiber Optic Systems from 240 nm to 6000 nm. Unique products include various sizes of Fiber Collimators,...Photonics Buyers' GuideOZ Optics LimitedEstablished in 1985, OZ Optics is a leading worldwide supplier of fiber optic components, test equipment and sensors. OZ Optics manufactures its products in three locations, Ottawa (Canada),...Photonics Buyers' GuideLaCroix Precision OpticsThe LaCroix name is synonymous with quality precision optics. Since 1947, three generations of family leadership have guided LaCroix Precision Optics to become the premier precision optics...Photonics Buyers' Guide