Open AccessPath to doubling the efficiency of mid-IR erbium lasers
Author(s) -
Tigran Sanamyan,
Jonathan W. Evans,
Sean A. McDaniel
Publication year - 2017
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.25.016452
Subject(s) - cascade , optics , laser , materials science , erbium , amplified spontaneous emission , fiber laser , optical amplifier , optoelectronics , laser pumping , amplifier , physics , chemistry , cmos , chromatography
It has been experimentally shown that a Cr:ZnSe optical amplifier can be successfully used for self-amplification of the cascade Er:Y 2 O 3 laser. This is to our best knowledge the first demonstration of an optical amplifier where both signal and pump are delivered from a single laser source. Absorption and emission spectra of the Cr:ZnSe are perfectly positioned to amplify the output of the cascade Er:Y 2 O 3 laser, when the 1.6 μm emission of the cascade laser serves as a pump, while 2.7 μm as a signal. We have also shown that this concept is valid for any bulk or fiber cascade erbium laser.