Highly efficient high-power thulium-doped germanate glass fiber laser

A 64 W fiber laser at 1.9 mu m with a slope efficiency of 68% with respect to the launching pump power at 800 nm was demonstrated in a one-end pump configuration using a piece of 20 cm long newly developed thulium-doped germanate glass double-cladding single-mode fiber. A quantum efficiency of 1.8 was achieved. An output laser power of 104 W at 1.9 mu m was demonstrated from a piece of 40 cm long fiber with a dualend pump configuration. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America