Narrow-linewidth all-fiber amplifier with up to 3.01 kW output power based on commercial 20/400 μm active fiber and counterpumped configuration.

A multikilowatt all-fiber amplifier with narrow spectral linewidth is investigated by using commercial 20/400 μm active fiber due to its more extensive application prospects. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is suppressed effectively by combining multiple approaches including optimizing linewidth-broadened seed, shortening fiber length, and a counterpumped configuration. Consequently, the output power is pushed up to 3.

Linearly-polarized short-pulse AOM Q-switched 978 nm photonic crystal fiber laser.

A linearly-polarized, high peak power, short-pulse, Q-switching Yb-doped large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber (PCF) oscillator with three-level system operation is demonstrated. By optimizing cavity parameters and adopting linear polarization component, the laser can easily obtain linearly-polarized output over 2 W at 978 nm with polarization extinction ratio (PER) up to 43 dB without any additional wavelength filter. Less than 50 ns stable output pulses are achieved within repetition range of 10 kHz-200 kHz and short pulse of 9 ns pulse duration, 130 kW peak power at 10 kHz can be reached.

Dammann-grating-based passive phase locking by an all-optical feedback loop.

A Dammann grating is used as a spatial filter for a passive coherent beam combination (CBC) of three Yb-doped fiber amplifiers with an all-optical feedback loop. Using this diffractive-optics-based spatial filtering technique, we demonstrate CBC with 20 W output power, and the visibility of the far-field interference pattern is up to 88.7%.

Passive coherent beam combining of four Yb-doped fiber amplifier chains with injection-locked seed source.

An injection-locked fiber laser is introduced to the passive fiber laser coherent beam combination with all-optical feedback loop. A coherent beam combining system with two-dimensional four Yb-doped fiber amplifier chains is established, and the injection-locked fiber laser works as a switchable seed source. The 1064 nm output laser of the injection-locked fiber laser is extinguished automatically as the feedback injection power is high enough, and the injection-locked fiber laser acts as an amplifier for the feedback laser with 7.

Coherent beam combination of two nanosecond fiber amplifiers by an all-optical feedback loop.

A passive coherent beam combination of two nanosecond amplifiers is realized by using an all-optical feedback loop. The width of the combined pulses is 9.7 ns, and the pulse repetition frequency is 2.

Polarization self-selection in a coherent beam combination system with an all-optical feedback loop.

Polarization self-selection in passive phasing of four fiber amplifiers with an all-optical feedback loop is demonstrated. The polarization extinction ratio (PER) of the combined beam is increased, and the polarized direction is selected with the use of a polarization-maintaining (PM) isolator and some non-PM components. The best visibility of the interference patterns is observed at 95.

Thermal effects in kilowatt all-fiber MOPA.

Thermal effects and output power characteristics of kilowatt all-fiber master-oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) are investigated. Proper designs for cooling apparatus are proposed and demonstrated experimentally, for the purpose of minimizing splice heating which is critical for the reliability of high power operation. By using these optimized methods, a thermal damage-free, highly efficient ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber MOPA operating at 1080 nm with 1.

Single-frequency linearly polarized master-oscillator fiber power amplifier system and its application in high fill factor coherent beam combining.

In this paper we combine the master-oscillator power fiber amplifier (MOPFA), active phase-compensation, and beam-tilting techniques to demonstrate high fill factor coherent beam combining. First, we optimize a single-frequency, linearly polarized MOPFA system with high scalability and flexibility based on compact, high efficiency Yb-doped fiber amplifier chains. Second, we demonstrate high fill factor coherent beam combining of these MOPFA arrays at a 50 W level in the far field successfully.

Beam conditions for radiation generated by an electromagnetic J0-correlated Schell-model source.

Based on the 2x2 (electric field) cross-spectral density matrix, a model for an electromagnetic J0-correlated Schell-model beam is given that is a generalization of the scalar J0-correlated Schell-model beam. The conditions that the matrix for the source to generate an electromagnetic J0-correlated Schell-model beam are obtained. The condition for the source to generate a scalar J0-correlated Schell-model beam can be considered as a special case.

Analytical vectorial structure of hollow Gaussian beams in the far field.

The analytical vectorial structure of HGB is investigated in the far field based on the vector plane wave spectrum and the method of stationary phase. The energy flux distributions of HGB in the far-field, which is composed of TE term and TM term, are demonstrated. The physics pictures of HGB is illustrated from the vectorial structure, which is important to understand the theoretical aspects of both scalar and vector HGB propagation.

Stable pulse-compressed acousto-optic Q-switched fiber laser.

A novel acousto-optic switch operation by a simple laser-diode pumped acousto-optic, Q-switched, ytterbium-doped, double-clad fiber laser is reported. Stable compressed Q-switched sub-40 ns pulses with a beam quality factor (M(2)=2) are achieved at the repetition rate of 1-50 kHz. Q-switched pulses of ~20 microJ pulse energy and 35 ns pulse width are obtained at the repetition rate of 50 kHz.

Beam quality improvement of laser diode array by using off-axis external cavity.

A novel off-axis external cavity is designed for laser diode array to improve the beam quality. In this external cavity, a circle aperture with variable size is used as a spatial filter. The diameter of aperture is optimized to 1.

Focal shift in focused radially polarized ultrashort pulsed laser beams.

Beginning with a beam coherence polarization (BCP) matrix, we obtain an analytical intensity expression for radially polarized ultrashort pulsed laser beams that pass through an apertureless aplanatic lens. We also investigate the intensity distribution of radially polarized beams in the vicinity of the focus. The focal shift of these beams is studied in detail.

Calculations of bond dissociation energies and dipole moments in energetic materials using density-functional methods.

We compare the effectiveness of six exchange/correlation functional combinations (Becke/Lee, Yang and Parr; Becke-3/Lee, Yang and Parr; Becke/Perdew-Wang 91; Becke-3/Perdew-Wang 91; Becke/Perdew 86; Becke-3/Perdew 86) for computing C-N, O-O and N-NO2 dissociation energies and dipole moments of five compounds. The studied compounds are hexabydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), dimethylnitramine, cyanogen, nitromethane and ozone. The Becke-3/Perdew 86 in conjunction with 6-31G** is found to give the best results, although for the dipole moments of RDX, there is a slightly difference that B3P86/6-31G** is less reliable than B3P86/6-31+G**.

High power coherent beam combination from two fiber lasers.

Phase locking of two fiber lasers is demonstrated experimentally by the use of a self-imaging resonator with a spatial filter. The high-contrast interference strips of the coherent beam profile are observed. The coherent output power of the fiber array exceeds 12W and the efficiency of coherent power combination is 88% with pump power of 60W.

Nd:YAG ceramic laser obtained high slope-efficiency of 62% in high power applications.

By using quite uniformly nine-stacks side-around arranged compact pumping system, a high power Nd:YAG ceramic quasi-CW laser with high slope efficiency of 62% has been demonstrated. With 450 W quasi-CW stacked laser diode bars pumping at 808 nm, performance of the Nd:YAG ceramic laser with different output coupling mirrors has been investigated. Optimum output power of 236 W at 1064 nm was obtained and corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was as high as 52.

[Improvement of grating spectrograph and its application to frequency-doubling in PPLN].

Charge-coupled device (CCD) has been widely used in spectral detection and spectral imaging fields, which has a number of benefits: broad spectral range response, low detection limit, wide dynamic range, minimal dark current and readout noise as well as the abilities of signal integration, simultaneous multichannel detection, and real-time detection. The combination of a traditional one meter grating spectrograph and a science charge-coupled device (CCD) led to a real-time grating spectrograph for laser spectrum detection developed in this paper. Based on the new grating spectrograph, the spectral characteristic of frequency-doubling of a broad band double-cladding fiber laser in polarized lithium niobate (PPLN) has been investigated.

Compact continuous-wave blue lasers by direct frequency doubling of laser diodes with periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide crystals.

A compact continuous-wave blue laser has been demonstrated by direct frequency doubling of a laser diode with a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide crystal. The optimum PPLN temperature is near 28 degrees C, and the dependence of waveguide crystals on crystal temperature is less sensitive than that of bulk crystals. A total of 14.