Open AccessHigh-power fiber laser with a polarizing diffraction grating milled on the facet of an optical fiber
Author(s) -
Martin Vaněk,
J. Vaniš,
Yauhen Baravets,
Filip Todorov,
Jiřı́ Čtyroký,
Pavel Honzátko
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.030225
Subject(s) - materials science , optics , fiber laser , fiber bragg grating , distributed feedback laser , polarizer , extinction ratio , diffraction grating , polarization maintaining optical fiber , laser , optoelectronics , blazed grating , laser beam quality , diffraction , grating , optical fiber , wavelength , fiber optic sensor , laser beams , birefringence , physics
We milled a sub-wavelength diffraction grating on the facet of a large mode area fiber. The diffraction grating had different reflectivities for TE and TM polarized light. It was tested in a thulium-doped fiber laser where it functioned as a low reflectivity output mirror integrated with an intracavity polarizer. Compared to the laser with a perpendicularly cleaved output fiber, the laser with diffraction grating had a slightly increased threshold power and the same slope efficiency. The beam quality factor M 2 was not impaired. Polarization extinction ratios of about 20 dB that were observed at low laser powers dropped to 10 dB at high powers.