Femtosecond-pulse inscription of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) in a Multicore Fiber (MCF) offers new opportunities of controlling the spatio-spectral properties of the generated beam in all-fiber scheme. With coupled cores, interference of partially reflected beams from individual FBGs in different cores becomes important. We present our recent results on the effect of narrowing/collapse of the laser spectrum generated in a cavity based on FBG array fs-inscribed in coupled cores of active (Yb-doped) MCF, which is shown to arise due to the supermodes formation and hybridisation. Output beam concentration in one core is observed at Raman tasing in passive MCF with FBG arrays and is potentially possible in Yb-doped MCFs. Applications and benefits of such all-fiber lasers will be discussed.
We report on the optimization of femtosecond-pulse inscribed arrays of short randomly spaced FBGs for Raman lasing in multimode GRIN fiber pumped by highly multimode (M2 ~34) 940-nm diodes. The fabricated 1D-3D FBG arrays used as a complex output mirror together with input highly reflective FBG provide random lasing of the Stokes beam at 976 nm with output power around 30 W. The optimization of array structure results in beam quality improvement to M2 ⪅2 and the linewidth narrowing to 0.1 nm to 0.2 nm that is better than that for long regular FBG of comparable reflection. Potential of such cavity structure for further parameter improvement and its practical applications are discussed.
We report on the achieving and investigating random Raman lasing based on femtosecond (fs) pulse written randomly spaced scattering points (Rayleigh reflector) and random array of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in graded-index (GRIN) fiber directly pumped by multimode laser, with much better output characteristics in the last case. The fabricated 1D-3D FBG arrays are used as a complex output coupling mirror together with input highly-reflective FBG fabricated by a phase mask technology. The 1-km GRIN fiber (100/140um) line was pumped by 940-nm laser diodes with a total power of up to 180 W and beam quality M2~34. Above threshold pump power of ~100W, random lasing of the 1st-order Stokes beam was obtained with output power exceeding 25 W at maximum pumping. The beam quality parameter M2 varies with FBG distribution in the fiber cross-section and its best value amounts to ~2, while the linewidth narrows to 0.1-0.2 nm.
We study an opportunity to obtain low-threshold random Raman lasing in multimode diode-pumped graded-index (GRIN) fiber with enhanced backscattering in artificial fs-inscribed random structure. Proof-of-principle experiments have been performed with a 1-km multimode GRIN fiber of 100-µm core directly pumped by three fiber-combined high-power 940- nm LDs. The laser has half-open all-fiber cavity consisting of highly-reflective FBG which is UV-inscribed in GRIN fiber near the LD input and artificial random reflector near its output end. Different types of random structures were formed by the point-by-point femtosecond-pulse technique in the near-axis area of GRIN fiber core (different pitch, length and transverse profile). Comparison of their lasing properties in the multimode diode-pumped GRIN fiber has been performed. The lowest threshold of ~140 W and the highest output power of 6.2 W (at ~180 W pumping) with the beam quality M2~3.3 is achieved for 2D structure. It is shown that the quality is improved to M2~2.4 for 1D structure at the expense of slight reduction in output power (5.5 W).
We report on the investigation of a 7-core Yb-doped fiber laser based on femtosecond pulse written fiber Bragg gratings. The fabricated FBG arrays are used as a complex high-reflective mirrors, whereas output coupling is provided by ~4% Fresnel reflection from the normally cleaved end of the fiber. At cladding pumping by a 976-nm laser diode, the cores generate independently with linear total power growth up to 33 W at 50 W pump power. The individual generation spectra slowly broaden to ~0.15 nm whereas net spectrum at maximum power is ~0.2 nm broad thus demonstrating high-power narrowband generation in multicore active fiber.
This conference presentation was prepared for the Advanced Lasers, High-Power Lasers, and Applications XIII conference at PA22 SPIE/COS Photonics Asia, 2022
It is known that graded-index fibers (GIF) provide efficient Raman conversion of multimode radiation into a Stokes beam with improved beam quality known as Raman beam cleanup effect, whereas in step-index fibers (SIF) this effect is weak. Here we study propagation of low-coherent (~5 nm wide) highly-multimode (M2~30) pump radiation of high power 940-nm laser diodes (LDs) in GIF and SIF of ~100 µm core diameter. We measured pump beam shapes at the output of fibers with different length. It has been shown that the output beam shape is almost independent of the input pump beam shape approaching to rectangular or parabolic profile after propagation in only ten meters of SIF or GIF, respectively. The output beam shape mimics the refractive-index profile in the multimode fiber core due to random mode coupling. This means that Raman gain is nearly the same for all transverse modes in SIF and has maximum gain for the fundamental mode in GIF that is the main reason of strong Raman beam cleanup effect in GIF. We tested Raman lasing in 1-km GIF/SIF with 940-nm LD pumping of up to ~200 W power with a cavity formed by fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The output FBG fs-inscribed in GIF/SIF improves the output beam quality due to spatial filtering property, but in GIF the effect is much stronger.
Graded-index fibers enable efficient Raman conversion of multimode radiation into a Stokes beam with improved beam quality offering new approach for high-brightness diode-pumped all-fiber tunable lasers. Here we study an opportunity to broaden the operating wavelength range via cascaded Raman lasing in such scheme. Highly-multimode 940-nm laserdiode radiation is serially converted into the 1st(976nm), 2nd(1019nm) and 3rd(1065 nm) order Stokes beam. At the conversion the beam quality is greatly improved approaching diffraction limit (M2<1.4). Linear and half-open cavities are compared showing that the conversion efficiency is higher for half-open cavity, whereas the threshold is lower for linear cavity that was used for the 3rd -order generation. Generation of 3rd Stokes order is accompanied by unstable pulsations with higher (4th and 5th) orders involved in the lasing with total power of ~4 W, while its beam quality worsens to M2~2.
A random distributed feedback Raman fiber laser (RRFL) based on graded-index (GRIN) fiber with brightness enhancement (BE) is demonstrated. Pumped by temporally stable amplified spontaneous emission source, the output power of 722 W at 1130 nm is achieved thanks to the effective suppression on higher-order Stokes generation. Besides, benefiting from the beam cleanup effect in GRIN fiber, the beam quality factor M2 of the signal laser at maximum output is 4.65 corresponding to the BE factor of 8.9. To the best of our knowledge, this is the record output power of RRFL based on GRIN fiber with BE.
We report on the demonstration and characterization of Raman laser generating at the wavelength of ~1090 nm with total output power of up to 5 W based on the 7-core passive fiber with coupled cores. The Raman gain in all cores is provided by the pump laser connected to the FBG-free central core, whereas the laser cavity is formed by two sets of highly-reflective fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) inscribed by fs pulses in all peripherical cores at the both ends of the 7-core fiber. The output FBG set has got a random shift along the axis between individual FBGs thus forming a random array of FBGs. Along with the Stokes line narrowing reasoned by the reduction of spectral broadening via nonlinear effects due to the enlargement of effective mode area in the multicore fiber with coupled cores in comparison with a standard singlemode fiber Raman laser, the additional line narrowing effect induced by the multicore random FBG array has been also revealed. It results in the generation of single peak of <30 pm linewidth near the threshold, whereas the linewidth broadens to ~250 pm at maximum power. At that, the single peak generation at low powers is not stable in time converting at some moments to multiple 20- pm peaks with random spacing and amplitudes defined by the interference of beams reflected from individual output FBGs with random longitudinal shifts. The ways to stabilize the generated spectrum are discussed.
We investigate possibilities of using a multicore fiber containing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in sensing applications. We use the advantages of the femtosecond point-by-point technique to inscribe FBGs in the selected cores of polyimidecoated 7-core fiber. Besides the results on 3D shape sensing we present new approaches for acoustic wave detection and environment refractive index sensing. In particular, we show that spatial division multiplexing with a multicore fiber allows one to create multipoint acoustic sensor based on a single laser source. In addition, to detect the change in environment refractive index by using point-by-point FBG, there is no need in fiber coating removal. Thus, durability of the fiber along with the FBG inscription approach is of great potential for fabrication of next generation multiple parameter sensors.
The influence of β-radiation exposure (the total dose up to 41.1 MGy and dose rate of 2.5 kGy/s) on the spectral characteristics of high and low reflective FBGs inscribed using femtosecond laser radiation in Ge-doped and pure-silica core fibers with polyimide and metal coating is presented. The largest Bragg wavelength induced shift (BWS) of +55 pm is observed in the case of weak reflective FBG (type I) inscribed in Ge-doped fiber. A comparable red shift in wavelength of + 50 pm is observed in the case of high reflective FBG (type II), which is explained by an increase in the concentration of GeE’-centers and, accordingly, an increase in the effective refractive index. Moreover, a significantly smaller BWS of -10 pm was obtained in the case of high reflective FBGs inscribed in pure-silica core fibers.
In this study, we assess the feasibility of highly dense fiber Bragg grating (FBG) arrays for real-time temperature measurement during Nanocomposites (NCs)-enhanced laser ablation (LA) of pancreas tissue. FBG arrays were fabricated with the femtosecond point-by-point writing technology. Each highly dense array contains 25 FBGs with a grating length of 0.9 mm and an edge-to-edge distance of 0.1 mm. As alternative fiber sensors, we used commercially available acrylatecoated FBG arrays containing 5 FBGs. Temperature measurements by the highly dense FBG array were compared to thermal camera readings during laser irradiation of water samples. The augmented thermal effect produced by special NC comprising of a polydopamine matrix embedded with gold and copper was evaluated during the irradiation of an ex vivo phantom. The phantom consisted of a blended porcine pancreas tissue mixed with the NC; tissue mixed with water was used for control. The results clearly demonstrate that the highly dense arrays better detect the peak temperature and temperature distribution. The NC presence increased the maximum temperature reached during LA from 48°C (control) to 90°C (NC) at 2 mm, and from 33 °C to 36°C at 4 mm distance from the laser tip. The low spatial resolution of the commercial arrays produced an underestimation of the peak temperature by 2°C (control), and by 1°C (NC) at 4 mm. These results highlight the importance of the proper selection of the measurement system characteristics, especially when high temperature gradient should be measured in biological tissues undergoing thermal ablation for cancer treatment.
Output beam characteristics of a LD-pumped multimode graded-index fiber Raman laser with different cavity configurations are studied. It has been shown that specially designed 976-nm FBGs inscribed by femtosecond pulses enable selection of an individual transverse mode: fundamental LP01 mode is generated in case of FBG localized in the center of graded-index fiber core, whereas next-order LP11 mode is generated in case of FBG shifted by ~8 um from the center. Corresponding beam shapes and spectra are observed in the laser output. At that, output power at the same pumping is sufficiently higher in case of LP11 FBG. Optimization of output characteristics is also performed resulting in generation of ~50 W power at 976 nm with beam quality parameter M2≈2.
We report on the first demonstration of pulsed regime of Raman laser based on a multimode graded-index fiber directly pumped by a CW multimode laser diode. Proof-of-principle experiments have been performed with a 3.7-km multimode graded-index fiber with 62.5-μm core pumped by 976-nm high-power laser diode and cavity formed by bulk mirror and fiber Bragg grating with intra-cavity acousto-optic modulator providing Q-switching or mode locking. At 27.2-kHz repetition rate corresponding to the laser cavity round-trip frequency (i.e. in mode-locking regime), stable nanosecond pulses with peak power of ~300 W have been observed both at the 1st (1018 nm) and 2nd (1064 nm) Stokes orders. At that, the beam quality of generated pulses is greatly improved as compared to that for the pump diode (M2>20) reaching M2=2 for the 2nd-order Stokes wave.
We present the results on fabrication of 3D fiber Bragg grating (FBG) arrays in specialty 7-core optical fibers with straight or twisted (spun) cores. Femtosecond laser inscription technology allowed us to modify the fibers through the acrylate or polyimide protective coatings that significantly increases the durability of the FBG sensors as compared to conventional UV inscription approach, requiring the coating removal. Custom-made 7-core fiber with polyimide coating opens up new prospects for shape sensors operating in high-temperature environment. Twisted-core fiber makes it possible to measure not only the shape, but also the direction of fiber torsion that is essential for a free-standing sensors. A novel method enabling core-selective FBGs inscription in a 7-core spun optical fiber is presented in this work. By using the created sensors bending radii down to several millimeters can be measured with a high precision. Separation of different core FBGs by wavelength makes it possible to combine several cores during their interrogation, which allows for sensor measurements through a single optical port.
We present the results on fiber Bragg gratings inscription with femtosecond laser pulses in a Fibercore SM- 7C1500(6.1/125) 7-core single-mode optical fiber. By focusing femtosecond pulses into the volume of the fiber and by controlling the transverse spatial position of the pulse absorption region we selectively modify the individual fiber cores of the fiber and at the same time specify geometry of the each grating. We show that different longitudinal profiles of coupling coefficient can be realized for the FBG, including uniform, chirped and apodized ones.
Self-sweeping of laser frequency is relatively new effect in fiber lasers. The effect consists in periodic dynamics of the laser frequency without use of tuning elements and electrical drivers for frequency tuning. Owing to broad sweeping range (up to 23 nm) and simplicity, self-sweeping fiber lasers are attractive sources for applications demanding tunable radiation. Currently the self-sweeping effect in fiber lasers was observed in different spectral regions covering range from 1 to 2.1 μm. However, it is difficult to control spectral dynamics due to self-induced nature of the sweeping effect. In the paper, we demonstrated linearly-polarized Tm-doped fiber laser with lasing near 1.9 μm with manually controlled the spectral dynamics with pump power adjustment. The laser operates in three self-sweeping regimes depending on pump power: 1) with normal scanning direction at high rate (~5 nm/sec) and, 2) with reverse one at low sweeping rate (~0.1 nm/sec) and 3) wavelength stopping. In the case of wavelength stopping, the wavelength can be stopped at arbitrary value in the range from 1912 to 1923 nm depending on prehistory of spectral dynamics of the laser. The wavelength stability in case of wavelength stopping is better than 50 pm within 5 minutes. In the case of linear scanning of laser line, sweeping range exceeds 15 nm.
The results of the development of a 6-channel microwave photonic beamforming system (BFS) for phased array antenna in receiving mode are presented. BFS incorporate DWDM technology based components of analogue fiber-optic transmission links with external modulation in RF range 0.1-18 GHz and specially manufactured chirped fiber Bragg grating. A number of BFS transmitters have six optical carriers separated with 100 GHz step (ITU grid, DWDM standard in C-band). The beamforming is realized by introducing inter-channel time delays when microwave modulated optical carriers interact with chirped fiber Bragg grating (СFBG) in reflection mode, throughout the total operating spectral range of 6-channel BFS (6x100 GHz). The used СFBG has 2 cm length. The results of measuring the S-parameters of BFS 6 channels are given, which enable to synthesize the far-field pattern of the phased array antenna with photonic BFS under investigation. Far-field patterns of four channel linear phased antenna array integrated with photonic beamformer model have been measured and compared with calculated patterns taking into account amplitude and phase errors arising in beamformer channels.
We report on the transverse mode selection in an all-fiber CW Raman laser based on a multimode graded-index fiber directly pumped by multimode laser diodes. Selection properties of special fiber Bragg gratings inscribed by UV CW or IR femtosecond radiation in the 100-μm core of graded-index fiber are experimentally compared. It is also theoretically explained why the better fundamental mode selection occurs in the femtosecond fiber Bragg grating inscribed in the fiber with lower core diameter. Fibers with core diameter of 62.5, 85 and 100 um are compared in the experiment. With core enlargement, the output power and slope efficiency increase sufficiently (from 47% to 84%) at the expense of slight beam-quality parameter increase (M2 =1.3-3).
The results on tilted fiber Bragg gratings (TFBGs) inscription using the method of transverse scanning of the fiber core by a femtosecond laser beam is reported in this paper. As an example, TFBGs consisting of unidirectional and bi-directional grating planes and having a tilt angle up to 9° are created. It is shown that different transverse mode groups of the fiber cladding can be excited with the created structures. The corresponding resonant dips reach the amplitude up to 30 dB that indicates the inscription method efficiency.
We report on the first all-fiber CW Raman laser based on a multimode graded-index fiber directly pumped by multimode laser diodes. A joint action of Raman clean-up effect and mode-selection properties of special fiber Bragg gratings inscribed in the central part of fiber core, results in high-efficiency conversion of a multimode (M2~26) pump at 915 nm into a high-quality output beam at 954 nm. Fibers with core diameter of 62.5, 85 and 100 um are compared. With core enlargement, the output power and slope efficiency increase sufficiently (from 47% to 84%) at the expense of slight beam-quality parameter reduction (M2=1.3-3).
Femtosecond-pulse modification of the refractive index in transparent materials enables the inscription of fiber Bragg gratings with new features and extended capabilities. In this study we present the results of fiber Bragg gratings inscription in Corning 62.5/125 multimode graded index fiber with IR femtosecond laser pulses. The specifics of point-by-point inscription including single and multiple Bragg grating inscription in limited fiber segment as well as different transverse modes excitation/suppression is discussed. Multimode fiber Bragg gratings inscribed with femtosecond radiation are investigated for the first time directly in the Raman fiber laser cavity.
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