Definition of fiber laser

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Photonics Dictionary

fiber laser: A 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 the process of stimulated emission, where photons are emitted in phase with an external input signal, resulting in amplified and coherent light output.

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Key features and characteristics of fiber lasers include:

Fiber core: The core of a fiber laser consists of a single-mode or multimode optical fiber doped with rare-earth ions. The dopant ions are embedded within the fiber core and serve as the active gain medium, where stimulated emission occurs.

Pump source: Fiber lasers require a pump source to excite the dopant ions and generate population inversion, which is necessary for laser action. Pump sources can include semiconductor diode lasers, fiber-coupled laser diodes, or other optical sources capable of delivering high-intensity light into the fiber core.

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs): Fiber Bragg gratings are periodic structures inscribed in the fiber core to provide optical feedback and enable lasing action. FBGs act as mirrors that reflect specific wavelengths of light back into the fiber core, forming the laser cavity and selecting the lasing wavelength.

Optical resonator: The optical resonator of a fiber laser consists of the fiber core and the FBGs, which form a Fabry–Pérot cavity. Light propagating through the fiber core undergoes multiple reflections between the FBGs, leading to gain amplification and the generation of a coherent laser beam.

Output coupler: A partially reflective mirror or fiber end facet serves as the output coupler, allowing a portion of the laser light to exit the cavity while reflecting the remaining light back into the fiber core for further amplification.

Fiber optic components: Fiber lasers may incorporate various fiber optic components such as couplers, isolators, polarization controllers, and mode converters to optimize performance, manage optical signals, and control polarization states.

High power and efficiency: Fiber lasers are known for their high output powers, efficiency, and beam quality compared to other types of lasers. They can generate kilowatts of output power with high electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency and excellent beam quality, making them suitable for industrial, manufacturing, and materials processing applications.

Fiber lasers are used in a wide range of applications, including:

Materials processing: Fiber lasers are employed for cutting, welding, drilling, marking, and surface modification of metals, ceramics, polymers, and other materials in industrial manufacturing processes.

Telecommunications: Fiber lasers are used in optical fiber amplifiers, optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems, optical fiber sensors, and long-distance optical communication networks.

Medical applications: Fiber lasers find applications in medical devices for surgery, dentistry, dermatology, ophthalmology, and photodynamic therapy due to their precision, versatility, and minimally invasive nature.

Scientific research: Fiber lasers are used in scientific research laboratories for spectroscopy, microscopy, imaging, and fundamental studies in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science.