Single-mode 212 W tapered fiber laser pumped by a low-brightness source

With a tapered double-clad all-glass ytterbium fiber as a gain medium, a maximum output power of over 200 W at 1079 nm and a slope efficiency of over 70% were demonstrated. The tapered double-clad fiber concept allows for using low-brightness diode bars and results in cost-effective and efficient high-power fiber lasers. The adiabatic conical fiber gain waveguide combines improved pump absorption owing to enhanced mode mixing in the pump cladding, low-noise single fundamental mode operation with M-2 <= 1.02, and strong potential for significant power scaling. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.