All-fiber design of hybrid Er-doped laser/Yb-doped amplifier system for high-power ultrashort pulse generation

We propose a design of an all-fiber laser system that combines the most advanced Er: fiber laser in the telecommunication range and an efficient Yb-doped amplifier for generation of high-power ultrashort pulses. The system is based on nonlinear wavelength conversion of 1.56 mu m ultrashort Er:fiber laser pulses to the 1 mu m range in a short pigtail of dispersion-shifted silica fiber with subsequent amplification in the Yb-doped fiber amplifier. Pulses with a duration as short as 85 fs and averaged power of 200 mW are demonstrated. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America