Journal of the European Optical Society - Rapid publications, Vol 7 (2012)

An all fiber based Talbot self-imaging mirror device for phase-locking of a multi-fiber laser

R. Zhou, Q. Zhan, P. E. Powers, B. Ibarra-Escamilla, J. W. Haus

Abstract


By propagating beamlets from a periodically placed array of single-mode fiber amplifiers in a large mode-are (LMA) fiber, we find that a self-image of the initial beamlets is formed at certain distances in the LMA fiber. A Talbot mirror fiber device (TMFD) based on this property is proposed for phase-locking of a multi-fiber laser. For this laser system, we investigate how the LMA fiber length variation; the fiber amplifier phase variation, amplitude variation, and displacement affect the self-image qualities and the coupling efficiency.

© The Authors. All rights reserved. [DOI: 10.2971/jeos.2012.12012]

Full Text: PDF

Citation Details


Cite this article

References


Y. Jeong, J. Sahu, D. Payne, and J. Nilsson, "Ytterbium-doped largecore fiber laser with 1.36 kW continuous-wave output power," Opt. Express 12, 6088 (2004).

A. Galvanauskas, "High Power Fiber Lasers", Opt. Photonics News 15(7), 42-47 (2004).

O. Schmidt, J. Rothhardt, F. Röser, S. Linke, T. Schreiber, K. Rademaker, J. Limpert, S. Ermeneux, P. Yvernault, F. Salin, and A. Tünnermann, "Millijoule pulse energy Q-switched short-length fiber laser," Opt. Lett. 32, 1551 (2007).

J. Limpert, A. Liem, M. Reich, T. Schreiber, S. Nolte, H. Zellmer, A. Tünnermann, J. Broeng, A. Petersson, and C. Jakobsen, "Lownonlinearity single-transverse-mode ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fiber amplifier," Opt. Express 12, 1313 (2004).

IPG Photonics, Press release, ipgphotonics.com/Collateral/Documents/English-US/PR_Final_10kW_SM_laser.pdf

A. E. Siegman, "Propagating modes in gain-guided optical fibers," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 20, 1617 (2003).

Y. Chen, V. Sudesh, T. McComb, M. C. Richardson, M. Bass, and J. Ballato, "Lasing in a gain-guided index anti-guided fiber," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24, 1683 (2007).

A. E. Siegman, Y. Chen, V. Sudesh, M. C. Richardson, M. Bass, P. Foy, W. Hawkins, and J. Ballato, "Confined propagation and near single-mode laser oscillation in a gain-guided, index antiguided optical fiber," Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 251101 (2006).

V. Sudesh, T. McComb, Y. Chen, M. Bass, M. C. Richardson, J. Ballato, and A. E. Siegman, "Diode-pumped 200 _m diameter core, gain-guided, index-antiguided single mode fiber laser," Appl. Phys. B 90, 369 (2008).

T. Her, X. Ao, and L. W. Casperson, "Gain saturation in gain-guided slab waveguides with large-index antiguiding," Opt. Lett 34, 2411 (2009).

H. S. Kim, and M. C. Richardson, "Output characteristics of a gain guided, index anti-guided fiber amplifier under the condition of gain saturation," Opt. Express 18, 15969 (2009).

R. Zhou, B. Ibarra-Escamilla, Q. Zhan, P. E. Powers, and J. W. Haus, "Self-phase modulation effects and pulse propagation in gainguided fibers", J. Europ. Opt. Soc. Rap. Public. 4, 09051 (2009).

Y. Zhou, L. Liu, C. Etson, Y. Abranyos, A. Padilla, and Y. C. Chen, "Phase locking of a two-dimensional laser array by controlling the far-field pattern," Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 3025 (2004).

B. He, Q. Lou, W. Wang, J. Zhou, Y. Zheng, J. Dong, Y. Wei, and W. Chen, "Experimental demonstration of phase locking of a twodimensional laser arrays using a self-imaging resonator," Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 251115 (2008).

H. Bruesselbach, D. C. Jones, M. S. Mangir, M. Minden, and J. L. Rogers, "Self-organized coherence in fiber laser arrays," Opt. Lett. 30, 1339 (2005).

L. Liu, Y. Zhou, F. Kong, and Y. C. Chen, "Phase locking in a fiber laser array with varying path lengths," Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 4837-4839 (2004).

J. Cao, Q. Lu, J. Hou, and X. Xu, "Self-organization of arrays of two mutually-injected fiber lasers: theoretical investigation," Opt. Express 17, 7694 (2009).

L. Li, A. Schülzgen, S. Chen, V. L. Temyanko, J. V. Moloney, and N. Peyghambarian, "Phase locking and in-phase supermode selection in monolithic multicore fiber lasers," Opt. Lett. 31, 2577 (2006).

L. Li, A. Schuülzgen, H. Li, V. L. Temyanko, J. V. Moloney, and N. Peyghambarian, "Phase-locked multicore all-fiber lasers: modeling and experimental investigation," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24, 1721 (2007).

W. S. Mohammed, A. Mehta, and E. G. Johnson, "Wavelength Tunable Fiber Lens Based on Multimode Interference," J. Lightwave Technol. 22, 469 (2004).

B. Wang, "Review of fabrication techniques for fused fiber components for fiber lasers," Proc. SPIE 7159, 71950A (2009).

C. Pollock, and M. Lipson, Integrated Photonics (Kluwer, Boston, MA, 2003).

C. B, Dane C. B. Dane, L. E. Zapata, W. A. Neuman, M. A. Norton, and L. A. Hackel, "Design and operation of a 150 W near diffraction-limited laser amplifier with SBS wavefront correction," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 31, 148 (1995).

M. Hautakorpi and M. Kaivola, "Modal Analysis of the self-imaging phenomenon in optical fibers with an annular core," Appl. Optics 45, 6388 (2006).