SWIR-to-MWIR all-fiber laser and amplifier solutions

High-power fiber lasers

Production of a lasers
© Fraunhofer IOSB, indigo
Production of a lasers
© Fraunhofer IOSB
High-power fiber laser
© Fraunhofer IOSB, indigo
High-power fiber laser

Fraunhofer IOSB is performing research and development on novel architectures of fiber lasers and amplifiers and specifically develops new tailored fiber components for high-power SWIR to MWIR fiber lasers.

Such fiber lasers can be used in a wide spectrum of industrial and defense applications, ranging from material processing in industry and medicine, molecular spectroscopy and remote sensing, LIDAR, free-space optical communication, and optronic countermeasures to high-energy lasers. Besides their direct use, they can also be employed as pump sources for non-linear interactions in crystals and fibers to generate new wavelengths ranging from mid- to long-wave infrared up to 12 μm, e.g. in supercontinuum sources or optical parametric oscillators (OPO).

Fiber laser sources

Besides fundamental and applied research on active fibers and fiber lasers a focus on the development of high-power fiber laser technology at IOSB addresses ruggedized low SWaP all-fiber designs. This includes all-fiber laser sources based on active fibers doped with rare-earth ions (Er3+, Tm3+, Ho3+) in continuous and pulsed operation modes.

High-power narrow-linewidth cw sources beyond 937 W and pulsed fiber amplifiers with more than 23 kW of pulse peak power in the 2 µm range and subsequent non-linear conversion with over 10 W of average power in the MWIR are typical examples. Specific pump laser designs assure high non-linear conversion efficiencies.

Fiber laser components

Another focus of high power fiber laser technology at IOSB addresses specific fiber laser components such as fiber end caps, cladding mode strippers, signal/pump couplers, mode field adapters, etc., for integration of tailored specific functions and an increase of damage thresholds for power scaled fiber sources. Likewise, we design specific active fibers for power scaling of fiber lasers. 

Research for partners and customers

We perform laser damage testing on fibers and (fiber) optical components in the context of our own laser research and in common research projects, where these capabilities are made available to our partners and customers in research and development of optical components and coatings. 

Further Information

 

LAS Division

You want to learn more about our projects and specific competences in the field of laser technology? 

 

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You are interested in a cooperation with our department or have questions about our current research topics? Then get in touch with us!